HOUSE NUMBERS -
DISCERNING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A PROPERTY

By Tim Stephens

This article is a compilation of my recent preambles on "property meanings." It consists of several parts: 1) how to calculate the "number" of a property; 2) the meanings of each number; 3) how to use (and not use) these numbers; and 4) a brief forecast of real estate prices.

TO CALCULATE AN ADDRESS'S NUMEROLOGICAL MEANING:

To obtain the "number" of any property, add every digit and letter of the street address, then keep adding the digits of the sums you get until you're left with a number between 1 and 9. For example: 123 - 31st Avenue = 1+2+3+3+1 = 10 = 1+0 = 1. (Always ignore the words "avenue," "street," "road," "apartment," "unit," etc. -- but DO count street names, such as "elm" or "dunbar.") This particular address is a "1," denoting a swift, hurried, humorous and assertive life for the occupants. But more on these meanings later.

For letters, use this table:

A=1, B=2, C=3, D=4, E=5, F=6, G=7, H=8, I=9

J=1, K=2, L=3, M=4, N=5, O=6, P=7, Q=8, R=9

S=1, T=2, U=3, V=4, W=5, X=6, Y=7, Z=8

E.g., "Elm Street" = 5(e)+3(l)+4(m) = 12 = 1+2 = 3 (ignore "Street").

If you're house hunting, copy this table on a little card -- it will save you time.

Again, always ignore "avenue," "street," "road," etc. For brevity's sake, you can count south=2, north=3, west=4, east=9. (But see the note below, "About East, West, North, South.")

Here's an example: 23 West 20 Ave. = 2+3+4(west)+2+0 = 11 = 1+1 = 2. (Remember, ignore "avenue.") This is a "2" house, good for calm, peace and sensuality. Here's a more complex example: 454 South Elm Street = 4+5+4+2 (south) +5+3+4 (elm) (ignore "street") = 27 = 2+7 = 9. This is a "9" house, good for intellectuals. If the property has no street address, use the legal description (including the letters). E.g., Lot 4, District Lot 25, SW = 4+2+5+1("S")+5("W") = 17 = 1+7 = 8. This would be a good investment property, all things being equal. (I'll give you a more detailed description of each number's meaning below.)

A NOTE ABOUT EAST, WEST, NORTH, SOUTH:

As noted, you can simply count "west" as 4, "east" as 9, "south" as 2, and "north" as 3. E.g., west = 5(w)+5(e)+1(s)+2(t) = 13 = 1+3 = 4. (In calling "west" a 4, "south" a 2, etc., I've simply already added and reduced the alphabet numbers for you.)

HOWEVER, if the street corner road signs and your postal address are shown in abbreviated form, USE THE ABBREVIATED LETTERS. This is the case in Seattle, for instance, where a typical address might be: 200 - 5th Ave. SW, or, say Post Street NE. In these cases, count only "S" as 1, E as 5, W as 5, and N as 5 -- according to the alphabet table above. (In other words, don't use the full word "south," nor it's "reduced" number of "2.") And continue, again, to ignore "Avenue," "Street," etc. Also ignore any "ths" or "nds," etc. as in 25th Avenue would be 2+5 only, and 31st would be 3+1 only, etc.

CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Numerology is highly cultural. If you're buying or living in a country which does not use the Roman (A to Z) alphabet for everyday life, read these real estate articles with skepticism. If a nation's language is not English, use the local spelling of "west," "east," "north" and "south." Eg., in France, use "nord" for "north" -- don't convert to English!

THE MEANINGS OF EVERY PROPERTY:

There are 9 basic meanings, representing your final, reduced number (which must be between 1 and 9). There is no final "zero" number, simply because you'll never get one!

THE 1 PROPERTY:

A "1" property reflects assertion, exploration, newness, impulse, trying things out, a new start. Males (or your masculine side) will often dominate in this place. Verve, swagger, vivacity, quick reactions, quick passions are the norm. Ambitious people, especially career singles, often choose a "1" address -- and benefit from it, so long as they don't want to build a married life. This house often ages rapidly, needs repairs. But if you lack vim and vigor in your life, it's the place to be. Best to rent rather than buy, as 1's tend to lag in market appreciation. If you want to develop or subdivide a property, 1 is a good number because it vibrates well to cutting, dividing, building, carving a place out of the wilderness. You get a new start here!

THE 2 PROPERTY:

A "2" house can be "home sweet home." Calmness prevails, and diplomacy is valued in this home. But if a major fight starts, it can knock the walls down, because no one gives in here, no matter how diplomatic they were at first! It's usually a good buy, appreciates well. Gardening, beautiful interiors naturally spring up here. Nature is a source of deep, sensual or enjoyable moments. Sex is casual, sensual, rather than deep, mysterious, or an istrument of "control." Fill this house with plants and paintings. Fine sound systems and luxury tv's find their way into these homes. A good place for a home-based business concerned with buying and selling. A good address for a retail store. Sometimes 2 households are untidy, as laziness seeps in. You'll tend to put on weight here. Anorexia clinics should be located at a 2 address.

THE 3 PROPERTY:

A "3" home is filled with conversation. Even if you live alone in a 3, you'll be on the phone a lot, or will subscribe to many newspapers. A great place for making contacts: fill it with fax machines, computers, appointment book. An excellent place for journalists, internet workers, graphic artists, etc., and a good business address for newspaper, distribution, or telecommunications firms. People in a 3 home are restless, optimistic, seem to have an uncanny luck, but seldom form deep bonds. It's good for those with itinerant lifestyles such as athletes, a townhome for a travelling executive, etc. Students live happily in 3's, but they'd get a better education in a "9." It's rather hard to sit and plan in this home's atmosphere. At times, you could feel you're on a merry-go-round and can't get off. If this feeling predominates, it might be time to hunt for a "4" address.

THE 4 PROPERTY:

The "4" house is truely a home. It's the base, the foundation of life, the place where roots are sunk and families raised. Adults who grew up in a 4 usually look back fondly on childhood's golden age. This home tends to appreciate, and will often provide retirement security via its long-term market value. But its real value is in the enduring home life that blooms over the years. Dysfunctional families can occupy a 4 home, but even here the preservation of the family, of the "home base," tends to direct everyone's actions. The kitchen and good, solid food are the focal point. It's a great place to heal, to take a sojourn from life while planning your comeback. The 4 shelters. Family storms occur, but dissolve. Owners often feel reluctant to sell a "4," even after the kids are gone. It's a good address for a hotel or revenue house, because people subconsciously seek out "4" for shelter, food, rest and regeneration. And they tend to stay there. It means "end of journey." Pick a 4 address for a farm or nursery.

THE 5 PROPERTY:

A "5" home spells passion and beauty. Singles find romance here (but when they form a durable bond, they often move out). Pleasure predominates, whether it's the luxury of a 60-inch tv, or bouquets of flowers sprucing every hallway. Artists, architects, designers, etc. should live here, for a 5 enhances creativity and self-expression. It promotes risk. People often buy a 5 on impulse, yet it's usually a fortunate impulse. A 5 isn't particularly good for young marrieds because romance, if over-emphasized in a marriage, will suffocate it. When the baby arrives, head for a 4 or a 6. (But 5s are good for day care, art classes, etc.) A 5 is not a particularly stable nor enduring environment, and sometimes your soul can lack nurturing here. (Creativity uses soul, rather than feeding it.) A 3 or 2 is better at curing solitude, especially if the number you reach immediately before the "2" is an "11."

THE 6 PROPERTY:

The "6" home revolves around domestic love and work. 6 is Mom in the kitchen and Dad comes by and kisses her, and the kids bounce around, and everyone's happy and busy. (6 is "Leave It To Beaver." 4 is "Father Knows Best.") The 6 property competes with a 4 for the best place to raise a family, and is better than a 4 if you have no children. If you need a bit of perking up to get you going, pick the 6. If you're nervous and wired, and want a calm family life, want to not stress out your children, the 4 is better. For young lovers about to marry, 6 is very good, it helps them become "partners." When the careers are established and children come, this young couple might move to a 4. If you want to start a home-based business, this is often a good place, although it furthers productivity, not prestige. If you want a rural address where you can buy some tools and a used bobcat and reshape your property and rebuild your house, find a 6. As a business premises, the 6 is good for service corporations, machinery/tools, factories, etc.

THE 7 PROPERTY:

A "7" property brings you into crucial, face-to-face relationships with others. Often these relationships are challenging. It can bring marriage, but also divorce; contracts -- and litigation; opportunities -- and stiff competition. 7 can be very exciting, enlivening, full of attractions to the opposite sex, deals, contacts, dynamism -- you live life to its fullest here. But don't expect peace and calm! If you're young, energetic, feisty, love life, people and newness, you could love a 7 address.

But avoid a 16/7 (applies if the second-to-last number you reach by adding and reducing the address comes to 16, and then, 1+6 = 7). A 16/7 property signals a destructive episode in your life. It might ultimately free you from a suffocating, stressful or illusion-packed relationship, but you'll feel the pain of something being ripped away. People who finally sell or move from a 16/7 to another place are often "washed clean," ready for a fresh new life. (The "911" file for the WTC attacks in New York was "727" = 16/7.) If you presently own a 16/7, don't worry: when you've changed your life's direction someone will buy it. And a 16/7 address does not stop a property from appreciating in value -- though you might not be able to sell it before you've gone through 16/7's "furnace." I have first hand experience of this. In 1991, I bought 160 acres with a partner, for $ 160,000. Six months later, the property was valued at $ 360,000. We should have sold it! Instead, our heads swimming with visions of riches, we decided to subdivide it -- to make a million rather than merely doubling our money. That's when the disaster started. Five years and two lawsuits later (one of them against my partner) I finally gained control of the property and sold it. My net "profit?" -- a loss of $ 240,000, more than I'd paid for the property in the beginning! But, that 16/7 did appreciate -- I just didn't appreciate what I'd gotten into!

THE 8 PROPERTY:

If you live in an 8, your life is serious. The 8 address brews deep change, usually through the agencies of sex, finance or health. An 8 address brings the hidden forces of nature to the surface. You'll delve into secrets here. Your interest will grow in investments and your net worth. You might become wealthy, or you could lose big-time, depending on your karma and astuteness. Pregnancy occurs. Extra-marital temptations arise. Young couples can build their empires here, but they should be deeply in love first, for this property indicates many long, slow, deep changes in how you relate to each other. Honesty is essential. Morals need careful cultivation in every area; you'll be lured toward "power plays." This property tends to appreciate well, even very well, but that's not assured. This is a perfect "business premise" for a psychiatrist, editor, diagnostician, researcher, gynecologist, investor, or handler of other people's money. (But they should live in a 4 or other place, to enjoy a rest from work.)

THE 9 PROPERTY:

A "9" home is usually serene and mellow. This property doesn't appreciate strongly in price. (Though it can outpace others under certain conditions, especially if located near a financial district, surgery center or research park.) Writers, scholars, professors, lawyers, accountants, and anyone interested in intellectual pursuits will find a nine home or office address imbues a calm, productive atmosphere. While living here, we tend to see the broader picture. A mass of details naturally falls into place and produces intuitive patterns, abstract conclusions. Order keeps gently sheperding the chaos of life. Many non-intellectuals will like this home, also. A sense of ethics and an understanding of society's traditions blossom here, as does a philosophical view of life. Married couples honor their union as an integral part of society. Libraries, files, internet activities, CNN and foreign newspapers creep into this abode. Residents often travel, or have international friends. This isn't the best place to make money, for ideas and discussion groups will outweigh material considerations. This home needs lots of windows. An excellent apartment address for late-middle-agers who are downsizing. Here, you can reflect on life and find true value.

YOUR OWN PERSONALITY AND HOW TO PICK A PROPERTY NUMBER FOR YOURSELF:

That's the end of the basic house numbers. You can also read these "house meanings" for insights into your own personality: simply calculate your birthdate using the method I've shown you for houses. (But count the months as Jan.=1, Feb.=2, March=3, etc. DON'T add the letters of the month.)

For example, a person born June 2, 1958, would be: 6(June)+2+1+9+5+8 = 31 = 3+1 = 4. This person could read the description of the "4 property" above for some clue to his or her own personality.

In general, you can find one of the best homes for youself if you add 4 to your birthdate. E.g, the person in the example, a 4, would add 4, and look for an 8 property. So if you're a 1, live in a 5. If you're a 7, live in a 2 (7+4=11=1+1=2). Etc.

SOME QUIRKS:

Say you don't like the "meaning" of a house (or office) your already own or rent. Well, you can move -- and I do advise this if you've had nothing but bad luck where you are (especially if that bad luck started right after you first moved in there!).

However, this doesn't imply that you can swiftly and in one swoop change your life by changing your address. It's more accurate to say that you'll probably move when your life is ready to enter another phase. For example, if "destiny" (that is, your subconscious) feels it's time for you to enter a restless, curious phase, you'll tend to move into a 3. A person leaving a "retreat" cycle and entering a creative or romantic phase would move, say, from a 4 to a 5. We might say that the house/apartment is a "partner" in your present life phase, as long as you stay in it.

CHANGING YOUR ADDRESS AT CITY HALL:

You can, WITH VERY SLIGHT RESULTS, try to change a property's effect on you by changing the address. For example, your home is a 7 and you want a 4 -- within limits, you can apply to city hall to change your address. (Most municipalities will allow you to change your home address -- within limits. Your house number will still have to lie between the house numbers of your immediate neighbours. For example, if your neighbors' addresses are 5525 and 5567, you can have any odd number between 5527 and 5565.)

But this will have only a small effect, because the numbers don't, in general, cause anything. Rather, a property's address is an indicator of what it already is. Changing your address is a little like painting your place a new, different colour: it helps to change your mood and feeling about it -- and that's certainly something. But it doesn't affect the foundations, the sheng-fui, the neighbours, the location -- the basic character.

YOUR PROPERTY'S NUMBER IS YOUR DESTINY, IN A WAY:

Another quirk: you're house-shopping, going out to pick a certain number. You search, but just can't find the number you want in a property that you like, in the neighbourhood you want, and at a price you can afford. This frustration doesn't always occur, but when it does, it indicates that you're trying to find or access a lifestyle which just isn't in the cards at this point in your life.

For example, say your subconscious is moving you toward a period of travel, friendships, new contacts and busyness (a 3) but you've read these number descriptions and you've decided you want a 4, a solid, rooted family home. Yet all the 4's you find somehow displease you, are too expensive, or run into mortgage frustrations. Then, suddenly, you'll find a 3 that you just can't resist, the mortgage officer treats you like a favorite relative, and voila, you're in a 3!

This is partly why those of you in a 16/7 (which I warned about above) won't have any trouble selling it when the time is right. Someone else will be inexplicably attracted to it, simply because they're entering the personal "tearing down" phase that you've just gone through. (But if you haven't experienced your 16/7's "furnace" yet, you'll find it hard to sell this property.)

SOME SPECIAL PROPERTY NUMBERS:

Remember, you can only have one final number, between 1 and 9. But when you're adding all the numbers together and reducing them, if the second-to-last number you reach is a "double," this contains an additional meaning. For example: 3254 West 42 = 3+2+5+4+5(w)+5(e)+1(s)+2(t)+4+2 = 33 (=3+3) = 6. The second to last number is 33, a "double."

Notice that I've used the whole word "w-e-s-t." Doubles reached by counting west as "4," east as "9," etc. (their contracted forms, already added and "reduced") don't count. The doubles are: 11, 22, 33 and 44. (Not 55, 66, etc. -- simply because these don't exist. Try it: if any number adds, during the add/reduce process, to 55, it will then "add" to 5+5 = 10 = 1+0 = 1. In other words, 10 will be the second-to-last number, not 55. The same happens with 66, 77, and so on.)

11, 22, 33 and 44 are called "master" or "God-touched" numbers; they signal an extra level of influence.

Briefly, the 2 is diplomatic, sensual and acquisitive; but the 11/2 elevates these traits to a universal theme: you'll spread your diplomacy to the world, or acquire objects with valuable meaning for the world.

A 22/4 signals a great project, the nurturing of many rather than merely your own family. Sometimes it signals a powerful life change.

A 33/6 indicates not just the domestic love of a 6, but love raised to compassion, the communication of love to many people beyond the home.

The 44/8 signals power, finances, sex, just as the 8 does, but hints that these will "give shelter" to many people, or create a new life (e.g., sex leads to pregnancy in this home).

Now you might want to go back to your calculations and see whether your present abode or one you're thinking of buying, is a "master number." Life isn't always easy in the "master numbers,"

but it's sure significant. A little like living a heroic rather than an ordinary life.

THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF YOUR ADDRESS:

Some readers have asked if the different parts of their address mean anything. They do. Your apartment suite #, or your house #, is like your first name. It indicates your "more immediate" experience of life. Your street or avenue # (add to this your building # if you live in an apartment) shows the general environment you live in. E.g., if your apt. or house # adds to 8, and your street # adds to 4, then you study and use the mysteries of sex or finances privately (8) in a general environment of security (4). But the two combined give 3 -- an overall life of cheerfulness and much communicating (8+4=12=1+2=3). So, perhaps you read (3) many stock market (8) newsletters, or hustle (3) around the community selling real estate (4)! The total, or combined number (in this case a 3) is always the strongest.
back to top