If your yard is a bar, mushrooms are the patrons and the wait staff

The phone call came during my regular CBC radio phone-in show.

The caller had heard Dr. Scholl's foot powder was a fungicide. She knew lawn mushrooms were a type of fungus, so she wondered if she could kill her lawn mushrooms with foot powder – active ingredient Tolfanate, a synthetic thiocarbamate.

"No, definitely not," I exclaimed.

Homebuilders, developers cite international interest in region

Over the past four months, one-third of the 11 sales at the luxury Creekstone condo project in Canmore's Spring Creek development have been to foreign buyers.

And while there have been no purchasers from China — yet — developer Frank Kernick said it is "just a matter of time" before they come.

Housing officials say foreign investment shift too early to tell; still unwavering on city's potential

Calgary could be the new Vancouver. At least that's what has some real estate observers maintaining more than two months after the B.C. government imposed a 15 per cent land transfer tax on real estate purchases by foreign buyers in the province's most populated city.

Aimed at dampening foreign investment—mostly from mainland China, which has been suspected of pushing up demand and prices in markets such as Vancouver where the benchmark price for a home is close to $1 million – the tax appears to be working.

Homebuilding officials warn proposed governmental power shift could impact homebuyers in a big way

Before Calgarians step into a voting booth to elect a new city council a year from now, there could be a whole new ball game of city governance over everything from land assessments to affordable housing and even new taxing powers.

New city charters originally proposed in 2014, and only recently made available for public feedback, are intended to give new powers and responsibilities to Alberta's two largest municipalities. They may affect Calgarians on everything from residential speed limits and fines, environmental protection, integration of land-use and transportation strategies and investment to civic administrative efficiencies that stretch from council roles to establishment of bylaw tribunals.

And there will almost certainly be changes that impact the homebuilding industry, and ultimately homebuyers.

Talking everything from what makes a great community to the favourite room in her house

What defines a great place? A mix of housing? A popular neighbourhood haunt? Walking and biking paths?

CREB® recently sat down with Eleanor Mohammed, president of the Alberta Professional Planners Institute and a director for the Canadian Institute of Planners, which organizes the annual Great Places competition. Here's what she had to say:

CREB®Now: Tell us a bit more about the Great Places competition?

Over-reliance on gizmos could be younger generation's ultimate downfall

It's one of those "aha" moments: Speaking to a roomful of baby boomers, bestselling author Jason Dorsey asks the audience to finish the sentence: "Generation Y is tech-...."

"Savvy!" shouts most of the crowd.

Nope, not true, says Dorsey, an expert on Gen Y, or the Millennial generation — people who became adults in the 21st century.

Chris Bolt recalls big changes during time as CREB® president in 1999

The year was 1999. Y2K fears gripped society, the price of oil started to rebound and construction on a controversial new building for CREB® finally got underway.

In other words, it was just another day for Chris Bolt, who, today, looks back at his presidency for the REALTOR® organization as one of his greatest career accomplishments.

But how the native of London ended up leading the province's largest real estate organization during a year of transition is even more interesting.

Technology continues to reshape homebuying experience

Pick a recent weekend, and you've likely spotted Calgarians wandering in your neighbourhood with cellphones held up to their face.

Pokemon Go?

Actually, they might be homebuyers following mapped directions to an open house in the area. Or texting where to meet a real estate professional to view a home for sale.

Southeast district facing increased competition from new home industry

Calgary's resale residential housing market continues to reveal its many layers, with experts singling out the southeast district as an area of the city struggling in the face of intense competition from the homebuilding industry.

This comes on the heels of CREB®'s recently released housing summary for September that indicated prices in other instances are exhibiting increased stability.

CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie noted home prices in the southeast have struggled more acutely than other districts in Calgary despite indicators that would initially suggest otherwise.

New listing levels starting to match sales

A new report indicates the segment of Calgary's resale residential housing market with the greatest influence on the overall market is showing signs of pricing stability.

The detached benchmark price totaled $503,400 in September, which is 3.3 per cent below last year, but the second consecutive month at this price level, reported CREB® today.

While overall economic conditions remain soft, for now the detached sector is demonstrating some steadiness in terms of pricing, the member-based organization said.