Enticing discount mortgage rates have helped put Calgary's detached home market in rare form.

Now and then, Calgarians going for a morning walk in their community are stunned to discover that a house on their street has disappeared overnight.

No, the house wasn't whisked away by a tornado like in The Wizard of Oz – it's all part of a a way to "recycle" homes that ends up benefiting landowners in two locations.

The whistle stops, Randy Chevrier will readily acknowledge, had become something of a blur.

Big places, small places, exotic places and so-so places. Across the U.S., back home to Canada and even to Europe. From Jacksonville, Fla.; to Cincinnati, Ohio; to Dallas, Texas; to Barcelona, Spain; to Edmonton; and then to New York.

Dear Santa,

My oh my, it certainly has been an interesting and challenging year, with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting almost every part of our lives.

At the opening of training camp in June 2012, even though he was already five years into his tenure with the Calgary Stampeders, Rob Cote felt anything but secure.

"So, a very stressful time to be doing anything else but concentrating on football,'' said the Cochrane-born fullback. "Especially to be making a huge financial decision like buying a house.

For a 19-year-old just starting his career, Dana Murzyn's decision to buy his first house in the picture-perfect town of Farmington, Connecticut, 10 miles west of Hartford, seemed like nothing more than a logical step.

When it comes to deciding whether to rent or buy a home, discussions of pros and cons tend to centre around the financial considerations. However, the rent or buy dilemma is about far more than just money. Another important consideration is lifestyle – which option will allow you to live the life you want? That's a difficult question to answer, but we're here to help.

Homebuyers still cautious in signing mandatory agreements

Get it in writing – that's now the industry standard governing the relationship between buyers and their real estate professionals.

Yet while buyer's agreements have been a regulatory requirement since July 1, 2015, many buyers are still taken aback when presented with what are considered to be legally binding contracts, and often reluctant to sign even though these agreements are beneficial for consumers and the industry alike, said Charles Stevenson, director of professional standards at the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA).

First-time homebuyers turning to mom, dad for financial assistance

More young Canadians are turning to their parents to help find financing when purchasing their first home.

According to BMO's 2015 Home Buying Report, 42 per cent of first-time buyers are expecting their parents or relatives to help pay for their first home. Up 12 per cent from
last year, the number shows Canadians needing a helping hand to enter the market is on the rise.