According to the Vastu Shastra, the energies of the five elements and their respective directions are said to be connected to a person's date of birth. As a result, many individuals think that a person's date of birth can affect their choice to buy real estate. For instance, if a person's birth element is water, they might be recommended to choose a property with a north or north-west facing because these directions are connected to the water element. Similar to this, if a person's birth element is fire, they might be recommended to choose a property that faces south or south-east because the fire element is linked to these directions.