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Many people don't mind looking to the heavens for help in selling their homes.

In a recent survey commissioned by StJosephStatue.com, nearly one-third of the 1,000 adults who participated said that they'd consider asking their real-estate agent to bury a small statue of St. Joseph in their yards in order to help bring a buyer for their property.

Burying a statue of the saint in the yard has been a real-estate tradition for years, said Mary Anne Walser, lawyer and real estate broker with Keller Williams-Atlanta, in a news release. Where inventory is high, it also represents a commitment from sellers and agents to do whatever it takes to sell the home, she said.

There are different theories on how the practice began. According to StJosephStatue.com, a site that sells the statue in a home-selling kit, the tradition began hundreds of years ago in Spain, when Sister Teresa of Avila needed land to build convents. She prayed to the saint, and also buried a St. Joseph medal in the ground. St. Joseph is the patron saint of the family and household needs.

Many homeowners are likely turning to the power of prayer these days.

This week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported that the percentage of homes entering the foreclosure process in the first quarter, as well as the percentage of homes already at some point in the process, reached the highest level since 1979. Read more on the numbers in this week's real-estate pages, as well as why housing industry groups are pushing for a home-buyer tax credit.

Also, read a piece on how the housing market may turn around more quickly than people expect. Now that would be a blessing, wouldn't it?