Recently I read an article on the shift in how business – and life – is being conducted during this time of Covid-19. And the author made a point that stuck with me:

We can choose to hunker down in panic and wait for this to pass. Or we can take a deep breath and hunker forward.

I know there are a lot of scary things going on in our world today (especially if you believe everything the media would like for you to believe…) and no one really knows what life will look like in the near future, but life WILL go on. The Earth is still spinning. And one day, believe it or not, things will go back to (relative) normal.

For those of you that are ready to hunker forward with us, we wanted to share all of the ways our team at Gastineau Log Homes is making the dream of designing and building a log home possible from the comfort of your own home!

Most of you are familiar with either Zoom, FaceTime, or Skype video calling services out there. And depending on the type of cell phone you have, you may already have one of these options ready to use on your phone! This is a great tool for you and your Customer Assistant to use to walk you through our homes at our National Model Home Center, or to explore the perfect floor plan design your have in mind.

This isn’t a long-term solution, as we know that there is nothing that can replace standing in the middle of a room or putting your hands on our solid log walls. But this is a great first step before making the drive to see us.

If you need instructions on setting any of these services up to work for you, email or call us (1-800-654-9253) and we are happy to walk you through it!

Do you want to do a virtual “walk through” of our model home center but are unable to schedule a video call during normal business hours? Or maybe you just prefer to do it while laying in bed at night in your PJ’s (no judgement here!)? In that case, we are happy to share walk-through videos of our model home center, powerpoint presentations with customer pictures, or all of the above!

If interested, ask your Customer Assistant. They are happy to help!

…but is anyone buying houses now? After 4 weeks of plunging new home sales, transactions have roughly doubled in the last two weeks per John Burns, one of the leading real estate consultants in the US. This jump in demand is fueled by couples who: 1) have been wanting to buy for some time 2) are cooped up in a living situation they don’t like and 3) have little fear of losing their job soon. The headlines would have you think there are few people in that situation, but nation wide, calls and sales are up. Research says that 80% of household growth is going to be outside of the cities in the years to come. It also shows that the design most families prefer integrate open concept with strategic design features. Upstair lofts, master bedroom retreats, offices and large kitchens with large pantry spaces for storage will be very much in demand.

While the coronavirus pandemic has hit the economy and the housing market hard, the stay-at-home orders have also served as a stark reminder to many that they can afford a better living situation.

Open Houses:

With the lifting of the social distancing order effective May 4th, the GLH Model Home Center on I-70 in central MO is now accepting walk-ins again! Our hours are Monday – Friday 8 to 5, Saturday 9-5, Sunday by appt only. We have three houses available to tour! Click here for more, including directions.