A Letter From Our Vice President…

The current COVID-19 crisis has blind-sided everyone. As countries around the world struggle to contain the outbreak, many people have been forced to change their whole lifestyle very abruptly.

Parents and children have had to suddenly adapt to home-schooling, students and office workers are rapidly learning how to work remotely, and our supply chains and health services are being put under enormous stress. 

This is a unique situation, and none of us have ever been through something like this before. Here at Sterling Homes, we want you to know that the safety and well-being of our staff team and customers is our top priority, and is at the forefront of our minds. 

Our main focus right now is to accommodate those who have the most urgent need for housing and at the same time minimize the risk to both our staff and the public. 

We appreciate that for many people, buying a new home is nowhere near their top priority right now. But for those who are currently engaged in the home-buying process,  we’re doing all we can to make this process as safe and convenient for you as we possibly can.

These people find themselves in a wide variety of situations:

• They began before the outbreak started and now find themselves in need of a new home after their old one sold.
• A family with a baby on the way that needs a safe space to come home to.
• People looking to get out of high-density areas or buildings.
• People who want to lock in on their new home and take possession before any disruption to their job.
• Those who aren’t experiencing any disruption to their work (not everyone has been affected the same way by this outbreak)
• People who have to relocate for work, whether from another city or province.
• Those who want to take advantage of the current low-interest rates on mortgages.

We all need a place to live, and for some, this is an urgent necessity right now. 

This is a uniquely difficult time for those in need of a home, as we all need to follow the self-isolation and social distancing rules and, understandably, people with houses for sale don’t want strangers wandering through their homes.

Naturally, we also don’t want large groups of people congregating in our Showhomes in the current environment, so to that end, here are the steps we’re taking in our showhomes:

• Showhomes will be available for private in-person showings by appointment only
• Onsite representatives are offering virtual guided tours using Facetime or Zoom so you can view models safely and remotely
• We’ve implemented digital document signing with DocuSign so that paperwork can be processed without needing a face-to-face meeting.

We are also following extremely stringent cleaning and disinfecting processes in all our homes in order to protect any of our staff who are conducting virtual or private tours. In those rare cases where an in-person viewing is necessary, all showhome doors will be open and lights will be on, so the only thing you’ll need to touch is the front door handle on your way in. 

We understand that this is an extremely stressful time for anyone who was already into the home-buying process when this crisis began. You may have some anxiety around not knowing how you’re going to complete this journey safely. For those people, our only goal is to get them into their new homes as safely and quickly as possible.

Your home is your safe space in these uncertain times, and we know how important it is to get you there as soon as we can.

Throughout all of this, the priority for all of us should be to take care of ourselves, our families and loved ones, and our communities.

We all need to be there for each other, and we’ve already seen examples of this throughout the housing industry, from banks deferring mortgages and waiving fees, to landlords giving their tenants a break on their leases and some even offering food and gift cards to their renters! 

We all need to work together, and here at Sterling Homes we’re always available to serve our clients as best we can until we all come out at the other end of this. In the physical hierarchy of needs, food, shelter and clothing top the list, so we are providing an essential service to the public.

If you have an urgent need for housing please know we are here to help you navigate these unprecedented times safely and comfortably. This is our number one priority.

Brent Bommes
VP, Sterling Homes Edmonton