Will 2017 the Year of the Rooster bring good luck for home buyers?

Don’t get too cocky if you were born in the Chinese Year of the Rooster – especially if you’re looking to buy or sell real estate.

Having a birth year of 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981 or 1993 might not make you especially lucky or more likely to come into good fortune through property. Indeed, there might be a “wascally wabbit” out there willing to whisk your wealth away from you.

Of course, making million-dollar decisions based on broad characteristics attributed to one of 12 Chinese animal symbols is not recommended. Indeed, the Chinese philosophy of feng shui – how the life force of qi flows through a home, office or city – is more likely to be useful when considering property purchases. But Chinese astrology might give us an inkling of what’s to come.

According to the Five Elements Theory – the constant interactions of water, wood, fire, earth and metal – 2017 is the Year of the Fire Rooster. The 12 zodiac signs and five elements shape the astrology, so specific sign/element combinations happen every 60 years. Your prospects for good wealth, health and happiness in any given year are based on when you were born, right down to the hour, so it’s highly individualised.

Edgar Lok Tin Yung is a Melbourne-based feng shui consultant and Chinese astrology fortune telling expert. He says that with property represented by earth, individual real estate fortunes can only be determined by creating a personal chart.

“If earth is not a favourable element for them, most likely when they’re buying a property or when they have property for rent or constructing a house, they will face more difficulties than those who have earth as a favourable element,” he says.

“Those born in the Rabbit may consider buying [property]. I know a few Rabbits – one is already buying.” – Edgar Lok Tin Yung

Overall, though, the Chinese signs aren’t looking very positive for 2017. Yung says Chinese philosophy is approached from three levels – heaven, earth and individual. At the heaven level, this year could prove to be volatile – especially in the financial markets.

“The Rooster itself is metal, but the year always consists of two different elements,” he says. “The top half – we call it a Stem or Heavenly Stem – is the fire element, so fire is on top of metal. Metal is controlled by fire. Metal is the finance market, which will get burnt by the fire.

“We might see some very interesting developments in the financial market. The fire on top is controlling the bottom level; the lower level is the metal. So there will be a lot of different policies or ideas pushing down or suppressing the lower level.”

Yung says other potential calamities may befall us at times when fire controls metal – natural disasters, thunderstorms or fires burning forests and homes. In the human body, metal are the lungs. Remembering how much havoc the pollen storm brought Melbourne in late 2016, asthmatics should have their relievers at the ready.

These are not premonitions – just predictions. “It’s like a weather forecast – there’s a storm coming,” he says. “You’d better prepare well. If there’s a storm coming, maybe you want to increase your insurance policy.”

On a brighter note, Yung sees opportunities for those born as Rabbits (birth years 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987 and 1999). “The Rooster and Rabbit are in the clash-like position – they are more on opposite sides of the chart,” he says. “Those born in the Rabbit may consider buying [property]. That will be a good thing.

“I know a few Rabbits – one is already buying. One is going to sell [their home] and buy another one. The impact to the Rabbit is more than the Rooster.”

Photo credit: chooyutshing via Foter.com