Don't make the mistake; plant your bulbs now

It's simple garden envy, but there is a cure.

And it doesn't matter if your patch is just a tiny spot beside a townhome or a broad sweeping patch in a big country acreage.

If you are in a new garden and don't add bulbs now, you will regret it next spring. There is no shortcut to the blooming beauty we welcome with spring bulbs.

Here are some further tips:

Advice from the experts

Buying a home will be the biggest purchasing decision most of us will face in our lifetimes. Adding to the weight of that decision is going through it the first time.

"Buying a home can bring together both excitement and stress, especially for a first-time homebuyer," said RBC Financial regional vice-president Joshua Johner.

"First-time homebuyers often need extra advice throughout the process. It's difficult to know exactly what to expect, but most issues can be resolved by doing a little homework at the outset."

Annual Calgary Home + Design Show comes to town at the perfect time

Alberta's home renovations sector is booming.

The Calgary Home + Design Show is back for its 34th year.

Seems like a match made in heaven.

Brought about by ongoing economic uncertainty, more Albertans are looking for ways to upgrade their space rather than their place. According to Statistics Canada, investment on residential renovation in the province has increased by 3.8 per cent over the first six months of 2015 to $3.1 billion.

Speech-recognition tech offers in-home potential. But beware



As speech-recognition technology becomes increasingly reliable, it has the potential to become the interface of choice for just about every device we use.

On the surface, it makes sense. After all, people speak at an average of 150 words per minute, while most of us can barely type 40 on a good day.

But as convenient and novel as being able to talk to your computer, thermostat, lights and appliances might be, it comes with a few cautions.

Housing experts urge buyers to consider all the options before building, buying 

For Jennifer Weisgerber and Ian Muller, both 25, buying – and building – their first home has been the most important decision of their lives.

Muller, who installs fire sprinklers, and Weisgerber, who works for a company that sells parts for road construction, rented a townhome in Okotoks for five years. Last January, they signed with Morrison Homes to build a 1,700-square-foot three-bedroom home in the southeast Calgary community of Auburn Bay.

Housing market offers some surprises, different perceptions, say local experts

A quick look at today's real estate market might not exactly fill first-time homebuyers with optimistic anticipation. Yet dig deeper and there's plenty of reason to get excited, say housing experts.

Even though home sales are down by double-digit percentages in terms of units sold and money spent compared to a year ago, the average selling price is up slightly — about two per cent, to $474,605 in August, according to CREB®.

Fifth annual Doors Open Calgary event returns Sept. 24

Being a tourist in your own town: That's how Alyssa Berry describes Doors Open Calgary.

"You get to re-discover, or newly learn, parts of the city you may pass by but don't know anything about," said the president of this year's citywide event, taking place Saturday Sept. 24.

University District touted as 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity'

It is the urban employment hub of northwest Calgary. And now, with a projected influx of 6,000 new residences over the next 15 years, the new University District community is slated to become the quadrant's residential core.

The first two housing developments just launched in the District — Ivy by Brookfield Residential and Noble by Truman Homes — will be uniquely positioned in the 81-hectare project between two hospitals (Foothills Medical Centre and Alberta Children's Hospital) and the University of Calgary, for potential buyers.

CREA expects sales to struggle to maintain traction in 20016-17

MLS® sales in Alberta are expected to increase for the balance of the year due to better-than-expected activity during the second quarter and health levels heading into the third quarter, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) in its revised 2016 forecast.

The national REALTOR® agency added, however, that the current economic climate suggests Alberta sales may struggle to maintain traction over the remainder of 2016 and into 2017.

Alberta sales activity is expected to finish the year down 8.8 per cent to 51,500 transactions - the largest decline in the country as the province's economy struggles with a sluggish energy industry.

Nationally, sales activity is forecast to rise by six per cent to 535,900 units in 2016, which is little changed from CREA's previously predicted sales increase of 6.1 per cent to 536,400 units this year. This represents a new record for annual sales.

CREB® president was just one of many roles Don Dickson looks back on fondly

Don Dickson has held a variety of roles during his lengthy real estate career: Salesman, broker, business practices manager, and, in 2004, president of CREB®.

Through it all, his focus has remained the same.

"It's about helping members. That's been my number-one priority," Dickson said. "It's been a fabulous experience. You couldn't have a more fulfilling career. And I'm not done yet."