"Feng shui practice is more common than ever in the United States, and not just among Asian property owners either," said Juliet Lundy, broker-owner of Lundy Properties in Palo Alto. "One only needs to consult with increasing number of feng shui masters in the United States, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area, and they will tell you how busy they are in meeting clients' demands to perform services worldwide."

Lundy, a licensed broker who has sold mostly residential and some commercial real estate properties for more than 20 years in Bay Area counties, said many of her clients would not confirm their offer to purchase until the final approval from feng shui experts.

"Most of my buyers have some basic knowledge, which is mostly common sense, of how properties should be if one examines the principles carefully," Lundy said. "I have been well-educated by listening to my clients and by reading related books over the years, as well as attending seminars of such subjects, and now pay attention to such rules automatically."

Some of the feng shui items she's encountered with her clients make practical sense. They include not having a leaky faucet in the house, making sure the orientation of the house faces south for the best natural light, not having the front door walk into a half wall/half-open space and not owning a house facing the oncoming traffic at a T-intersection.

Five years ago, Lundy and her husband built a house for themselves in Palo Alto and they made sure to follow feng shui rules throughout the design stage and even down to the final decorating details.

"It turned out to be a very comfortable house that receives high compliments from all visitors. Recently we acquired a second home in the coastal area with an ocean view and hired a feng shui master to pay us a visit on closing date. He gave us some wonderful tips on how to furnish our new weekend retreat property to counterbalance the potential architectural disadvantage that could not be changed by us as new owners."

Lundy believes that feng shui is a living art as well as functional practice in daily life. She finds that books are a good resource on the subject. "Looking at the names of the authors of such books, I noticed that most of them are not Asian writers and realize how popular the idea is in making feng shui part of daily life. I certainly made sure that our new house design would not show the staircase leading to the second floor from the front door entrance, and it is one of the features that we appreciate on a daily basis."

Some of the other principles of feng shui include the proper positioning of the main door or entrance to a home, which can determine the fortune or misfortune of the occupants, as well as making sure the right numbers are present, preferably the number eight.

Realtor Juliette Najjar of Cashin Company has had several experiences with feng shui devotees. She has found that some buyers will even pay more to get a house if the location of the house and the floor plan meet feng shui guidelines.

"I had people coming to my open house with an instrument to even measure the angles of each window so they can research it and determine the flow of luck, health and money," said Najjar. "Last December, a client bought a house because it was painted red and had a peach tree in the backyard."

For Realtor Dante Drummond of Coldwell Banker in Palo Alto, a home that is designed and decorated with feng shui in mind makes a difference in how the house feels when someone walks in.

"You know something feels good, but maybe you can't put your finger on just what it is. This is usually what comes from designing a house with feng shui in mind. There is an easy, open flow of energy and space. Also, many cultures don't talk about feng shui to the Realtor but they are thinking about it in their own minds. The Realtor who knows what the feng shui concerns and considerations are is one step ahead with their ability to satisfy the client."

Some Realtors, however, are finding that feng shui doesn't have the importance it once did.

"I'm hearing less about feng shui. There are still people whose buying decisions are influenced by things like the house facing the correct direction, the number of stairs leading to the front door, or where the front door faces," said John Gieseker of Prudential California Realty. "It seems that as time goes on people that come from cultures that practice feng shui are becoming more 'Americanized,' especially the next generation."

Realtor Kelley Hix, an agent with Farris Hix Real Estate, thinks that feng shui is just now catching on with other populations so it may be more apparent for awhile before it fades away.

"I just closed a deal where a very professional, single Caucasian woman had a feng shui expert (also Caucasian) come to the house she was buying to do an evaluation and make recommendations prior to the close of escrow. When the house closed, my buyer did an initiation to the house before she moved that consisted of using orange peels and water and saying certain incantations. Several of the upgrades she plans to do with the house in the future incorporate the suggestions made by the feng shui expert."

Whether feng shui is going out or coming in, Realtors are making sure they understand the concept and can make referrals for their clients who are interested in practicing the ancient art.