Ashley McCallum found a home with character in the Beltline

Ashley McCallum loves history and character-filled older homes. So when it came time for this 35-year-old to find her first home, she immediately gravitated towards inner-city areas with more than a century of history. Although her first preference was a single-family home with a yard – her beloved eight-year-old bichon, Molly, loves playing outside – it wasn't in her budget. After months of searching, she found a lovely one-bedroom apartment in the Beltline on the second floor of a four-storey walk-up. The light-filled space features crown mouldings, century-old hardwood flooring, big windows and all the interesting nooks and crannies that come with an older home.

City eyes the future with 17th Avenue facelift

Whether you're a person or a stretch of pavement, 30 years of hard labour can take its toll. When you're as heavily travelled as 17th Avenue S.W., the effect is multiplied. That's why the City of Calgary, armed with a $44 million budget, is giving much of the area a facelift. From Macleod Trail to 14th Street S.W., the City is upgrading utilities, rebuilding the road and improving pedestrian areas to pave the way for future use.

"This began as simply a road construction project," said Ryan Murray, a spokesperson for the City of Calgary's transportation department. "After 30 years, it was time to dig down and rebuild the foundation of 17th Avenue. We decided that while we were down there, we should make the most of it by upgrading old utilities and rebuilding the road."

The benefits of small-space living

When software developer Mike Surbey and occupational therapist Kaitlyn Bernardin got married earlier this month, they were already ensconced in a 498-square-foot, one-bedroom condo just off popular 17th Avenue S.W.

The young couple — he's 32 and she's 29 — along with their cat, love their open-concept, efficient space in Grosvenor's Smith project in the Beltline. The smaller living space is the perfect fit for their lifestyle.

"We don't accumulate a lot of stuff and it is really easy to clean," said Bernardin.

Patricia and Michael Insole went from renters to buyers and never looked back

For Patricia and Michael Insole, timing was everything when it came to purchasing their penthouse condo in Calgary's inner-city Beltline neighbourhood.

They weren't really looking to buy a home, but when the building where they were renting became a condominium conversion, they jumped at the chance to purchase. They gathered a down payment, borrowing from family and friends, and purchased their 1,700-square-foot condo on the 15th floor.

Joshua Smith achieved his ideal downtown lifestyle at the right price point with a new Beltline condo

Joshua Smith, a 31-year-old communications adviser, was living in the northeast community of Taradale with his brother, commuting close to two hours a day to his job in the downtown core and back. His goal was to save some money and purchase a condo in the inner city. He yearned for the downtown lifestyle, where he could be close to coffee shops, restaurants and workout facilities. He wanted to be able to walk to work, and to meet friends for dinner or drinks without having to worry about a lengthy drive or an expensive cab fare. He also required a home with a great view, and it had to be affordable.

Parks are especially important in densely developed downtown

"Quality, not quantity" is how City of Calgary parks manager Keath Parker characterizes green spaces in Calgary's downtown core, an area that's not only home to tall office towers, but residential neighbourhoods as well, including the Beltline (Connaught and Victoria Park), East Village and Eau Claire.

Parker explains it wasn't until the mid-1960s that the province's Municipal Government Act (MGA) gave municipalities the authority to take up to 10 per cent of a development for open public space. Residential neighbourhoods developed prior to that tend not to have as much green space as those created after the MGA.

However, Calgary's downtown is still far from a cold, concrete jungle. In fact, there are 24 parks in the downtown area covering roughly 65 hectares of open green space, according to the City.

Buyer opts for a new-build condo in Calgary's desirable Beltline

Nav Basi knows real estate: it's what he does for a living.

This 41-year-old entrepreneur and real estate investor lives just north of the city limits, on an acreage adjacent to Cross Iron Mills. He's young and single and considering shifting lifestyle gears, from country-living to inner-city hip.

With that in mind, he made the decision to purchase a one-bedroom condominium at Park Point, a 34-storey condominium tower close to the city's core, overlooking Memorial Park. He purchased for investment purposes and plans to rent it out with eye to potentially using it as a future residence for himself.

Calgary's luxury market showing staying power, say experts

A high-end fitness centre and kitchen to cater private events; a concierge service or tranquility room; a car wash and, yes, even a pet wash.

These are among the amenities today's buyers can expect with the purchase of a luxury condo in Calgary, a sector real estate experts say is showing some staying power despite soft economic conditions.

Real estate officials expect conditions to support turnaround in downtrodden commercial market

Calgary's commercial real estate market is showing signs it is finally moving on from tough economic conditions that sent vacancy rates soaring and rents plummeting over the past two years, say officials.

''There is a sense in the market that the worst is behind us and that conditions will gradually improve," said Joe Binfet, managing director/broker of Colliers International in Calgary.

Housing industry expert discusses everything from affordable housing to the best room in her home

Marissa Toohey has one of the better views of Calgary's housing industry – and we're not talking about the one out of her living room. As manager of government relations and committees for the Calgary Region at CHBA - UDI Calgary Region Association. Toohey works closely with municipalities in the broader region on matters impacting the building and development industry.

CREB®Now recently had the opportunity to sit down with her to chat about everything from affordable housing to a national housing strategy. Here's what she had to say: