If you equate moving to the other end of the city with relocating to Mars, you're not alone. For many homebuyers, where they grew up or first settled down in Calgary can influence where they look when it comes time to move.

You asked, we answered

The people have spoken! We asked you for your most pressing real estate questions, then threw them to our expert panel of experienced REALTORS®: John Hripko (Royal LePage Benchmark), Laura O'Connell (RE/MAX House of Real Estate), Sam Crick (RE/MAX Realty Professionals) and David P. Brown (The Real Estate Company Ltd.).

Calgary home choices that won't break the bank

Not so long ago, half a million dollars in Calgary might get you a starter home, minus the view. Today, buyers in the $300,000 - $500,000 range will like what they see when weighing their options.

Limited budget need not limit buyer options

A dollar may not go as far as it used to, but $300,000 can still take Calgary homebuyers a long way.

"At that price, you could look at a one- or two-bedroom apartment with underground or outside parking, and an elevator if you want a high-rise," said Monique Windrem, a REALTOR® and leasing agent with Hope Street Real Estate Corp. "You might get extra storage, and if you opted for a one-bedroom, you may also have a gym, concierge and security if you're not set on living downtown."

Diversity and volume of home options offer something for homebuyers of every stage

There is no such thing as a "typical" home in the $500,000 to $750,000 price range in Calgary's market today.

"It is more than a starter home, but no mansion," said Ray Riley, a REALTOR® with RE/MAX First. "It could even be a teardown in a desirable (inner-city) neighbourhood, or a luxury apartment downtown. It just depends on what the buyer is looking for, and where."

How much home can you afford?

Shopping for the home of your dreams requires knowing how much you can afford to spend, which for most buyers ties directly into a mortgage.

Financial institutions in Canada look at a buyer's Gross Debt Service (GDS) and Total Debt Service (TDS) ratios to help determine how much mortgage to approve, and therefore, how much home a person can afford.

For many people, buying a first home is an exciting, but stressful, experience. CREB®Now spoke with a few members of Calgary's business community to find out what it was like making that first big investment in their lives.

Minerva and Glenn Kraushar plunged head first into homeownership in family-friendly Evanston

Eight years ago, Edmontonians Minerva and Glenn Kraushar tied the knot and then travelled south down the QEII to begin an exciting new adventure in Calgary. Glenn was beginning medical school at the University of Calgary and Minerva was finishing off her marketing degree. While in school, the couple bounced from rental home to rental home, their lives contingent upon the whims of landlords.

It's the biggest investment we are ever likely to make, yet too often buying and selling a home comes with a bunch of misconceptions about making the most of that investment.

Len T. Wong, broker/owner of RE/MAX Len T. Wong and Associates, chalks these misconceptions up to a lack of information, rather than any fundamental misunderstandings about the buying and selling process. Providing that education to the client, he says, is the role of an experienced REALTOR®.

Here are the top five buying and selling misconceptions Wong has seen throughout his 25-year real estate career:

Jeff and Jessica Huynh found their forever home in Calgary's eastern neighbour

When it came to finding their forever home, sussing out a family friendly community that offered a healthy, outdoor lifestyle, and was close to family and amenities, was top of mind for Jeff and Jessica Huynh. The Huynhs had been living in Coventry Hills in Calgary's northwest. They enjoyed the neighbourhood, but with two young children, the couple wanted to be closer to family who live in Calgary's northeast areas of Pineridge, Coral Springs and Marlborough.