Developers: Calif. City Has Bad Feng Shui

The Tampa Tribune ^ | 12-27-2005

[Cagey]

HAYWARD, California (AP) -- Developers looking to maximize the marketability of their homes are complaining about the city's street address rules, which they claim can scare off buyers who practice the ancient Chinese art of feng shui.

Under a numbering system established by Alameda County in the 1950s, addresses are assigned based on how far the homes are from downtown Oakland, a method that puts five digits on almost every mailbox in Hayward and other cities in the county.

The numbers have always been hard to remember, but home builders recently raised concerns that they may decrease property values because the odds are greater that an address will carry a number considered unlucky by feng shui practitioners.

Feng shui holds that the way buildings are designed can affect the fortunes and health of inhabitants.

"Now developers are saying, 'Why do we have to do it this way?'" Sylvia Ehrenthal, Hayward's director of economic and community development, told The Oakland Tribune for a Monday story. "There are some numbers people don't like to have in their address."

City Council members, five of whom live at addresses with numbers that start in the 20,000 range, voted unanimously last week to allow the builders of an upscale development to use shorter street numbers. In seeking the waiver, the builders cited convenience concerns as well as the potential for violating feng shui precepts, according to Richard Patenaude, Hayward's principal planner.

Real estate agent Lisa Coen, of nearby Pleasanton, who also runs a feng shui consulting firm, said she has advised developers on how to make homes attractive to buyers who would not want to live at the end of a cul-de-sac or where a door opens onto a staircase.

"It does matter to some people. It really does matter," Coen said. "They won't buy a house ... if the number's not right."

[Cagey]

I'm in the middle of my office, and I'm wearing earth tones

Centered and earthy. It doesn't get any better.

[bigfootbob]

Start one, you're qualified. Better yet start a feng shui registration authority. All practicioners would have to pay a fee to be certified. $$$$$$$$$$

[tallhappy]

I wish I had a feng shui consulting firm. Because there's a sucker born every minute.

Yes. But would it be ethical?

[Lonely Bull]

Under a numbering system established by Alameda County in the 1950s, addresses are assigned based on how far the homes are from downtown Oakland, a method that puts five digits on almost every mailbox in Hayward and other cities in the county.

Fact Check: Look at a Hayward street map with block numbers, if you can. Only the north-south streets are like that (Hayward is south of Oakland, not far southeast or something). The east-west streets number away from the rail line that runs through central Hayward (this is easier to see on online street maps that don't show block numbers, since there are multiple "West" streets west of the railroad). IOW, the number is probably more around half of the addresses and by no means is "almost every" one of them.

I also find it interesting that Fremont, despite being quite a bit bigger than Hayward, isn't explicitly mentioned as one of those "other cities." (Near the county line, numbers almost reach 50000.)

[SolidRedState]

The numbers have always been hard to remember

I have 5 numbers in MY address and have absolutely no trouble remembering it.

Also 5 numbers in my zip code. (Not counting the +4 which I NEVER use.)

Maybe these pot heads should lay off a joint once in a while and MEMORIZE their address.

[Ditter]

Hummmmmm there is a 4 in my house numbers, maybe that's why our house is not selling.

Oh wait, our house isn't on the market, that's why it's not selling.

[Cagey]

Just imagine the problems GPS software manufacturers are going to have if all the present numbers change.

[Jhensy]

"Aw man, I coulda told them builders -- wait...what?"

[billorites]

"I wouldn't want 666... "

But did you know about:

660
Approximate number of the Beast

DCLXVI
Roman numeral of the Beast

666.0000
Number of the High Precision Beast

0.666
Number of the Millibeast

/ 666
Beast Common Denominator

(-666) ^ (1/2)
Imaginary number of the Beast

6.66 e3
Floating point Beast

1010011010
Binary of the Beast

6, uh... what was that number again?
Number of the Blonde Beast

1-666
Area code of the Beast

00666
Zip code of the Beast

666mph
The speed limit of the Beast

$665.95
Retail price of the Beast

$699.25
Price of the Beast plus 5% state sales tax

$769.95
Price of the Beast with all accessories and replacement soul

$656.66
Walmart price of the Beast

$646.66
Next week's Walmart price of the Beast

Phillips 666
Gasoline of the Beast

Route 666
Highway of the Beast

666 F
Oven temperature for roast Beast

666k
Retirement plan of the Beast

666 mg
Recommended Minimum Daily Requirement of Beast

6.66 %
5 year CD interest rate at First Beast of Hell National Bank, $666 minimum deposit.

$666/hr
Beast's lawyer's billing rate

Lotus 6-6-6
Spreadsheet of the Beast

Word 6.66
Word Processor of the Beast

i66686
CPU of the Beast

666i
BMW of the Beast

DSM-666 (revised)
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the Beast

1232 Octal, Apt. 29A
Beast's hexed address

668
Next-door neighbor of the Beast

333
The semi-Christ

665.9997856
The Number of the Beast on a Pentium

[Tennessee_Bob]

SIX SIX EIGHT! THE NEIGHBOR OF THE BEAST!


Nah - it's not shouting, just singing loudly...

[socal_parrot]

We just sold a house in Orange County and its Feng Shui was always talked about by the potential Asian buyers and their agents. Laugh if you want, but Asians are buying a lot of homes and if you want it to sell fast, make sure it has good Feng Shui.

Of course, you can always sit in you house and talk about how stupid it is and have a lesser chance of selling.

[snarks_when_bored]

bad Feng Shui = un-Intelligent Design ?

[indcons]

LMAO....very nice.

[Cagey]

but Asians are buying a lot of homes and if you want it to sell fast, make sure it has good Feng Shui.

I get that, but this whole thing has gone way beyond just Asians. It's now "hip" to be into Feng Shui and I'm just so out of it.

Maybe I can catch on to the next fad.

[meanie monster]

lmao

[MineralMan]

"Feng shui is chinese for Bull ****!"

That's an incorrect translation.

It really means "You pay now! I tell you information!"

[socal_parrot]

Very true and that's just plain wacky.

[Long Distance Rider]

Feng Shui?
My butt! The grid system and systematic numbering makes any city easy to navigate. Take a good look at Kansas City and Denver. Well except downtown Denver. Both on a planned grid and a very systematic numbering system. I would expect emergency personnel would have a say in this except we are talking about California. Feng Shui? Horse Manure!

[JeffAtlanta]

I can't believe people pay money for this.

It is money well spent by a developer if an area has a large asian population. The developer can make minor changes that won't be noticeable to no feng shui buyers but will be huge to those that do use it as a guide to their life.

The validity of feng shui is irrelevant - the only thing that matters to the developer is whether a significant portion of potential buyers use feng shui for their buying decisions. In Salt Lake City it probably wouldn't be an issue but in California and other areas with large asian populations it will.

[MineralMan]

"Not being a feng shui sort of person , what would the bad numbers be?"

322 and 735. Those are the ones I know. Be very careful if you see those numbers. Behind them is an evil Djinn who will come and demand that you grant him three wishes. If you cannot, it's off with your head, snicker-snack!

Other numbers I cannot say. Some are bad. Some are good. You must hire my cousin. He is feng shui expert. Very good. Cheap, too.