Courtyard homes in Cornerstone offer buyers their own private oasis

For those homebuyers seeking privacy when it comes to their outdoor living spaces, Jayman BUILT's Courtyard homes in the northeast community of Cornerstone offer just that. What makes these homes unique is their rear-facing, double-attached garages, and yards at the side of the home.

"When you have a backyard, you often lose your privacy," said Nishi Saraswat, area sales manager for Jayman BUILT, describing the Courtyard's side yards as "verandas" between dwellings that allow residents to garden, entertain and play with increased privacy.

Stunning scenery and affordable homes make Cochrane a perfect fit for discerning homebuyers

As the warm spring sun crests the eastern horizon, its dazzling rays cast a purple light on the foothills circling Cochrane's western fringe. Below this stunning backdrop, the Bow River sparkles, as it winds its way through the town's core.

The beauty of this quaint town of 30,000 people is one of the things that attracted South African expats Heidi and Allan Lester-Olivier. The couple has lived all over the world, but Canada has always called out to them. In 2012, after spending two years in Houston, they made the trek north to Calgary with three young children in tow, settling in Tuscany.

Carnaby Heights offers sustainable townhomes in a tranquil setting

Nestled within the northwest community of Nolan Hill is Carnaby Heights, a collection of urban and estate townhomes that mesh seamlessly with the softness of the rolling prairie landscape.

"It's a very lovely place to come home to, said Hal Pike, area sales manager for Jayman BUILT, the builder behind the townhomes. "The architecture is very quaint, and it is so quiet."

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.

Move-up homes driving construction activity, community development, say local housing officials

The head of Calgary's new home industry believes move-up products have become the go-to sector within Calgary's residential construction industry, and will be the backbone of new communities moving forward.

Allan Klassen, who is the newly minted chair of the Canadian Home Builders' Association - Urban Development Institute Calgary Region, said buyers' focus over the last several years has been increasingly focused on detached product priced over $500,000.

"It is the prominent driver in terms of overall growth of new construction," said Klassen, who is also senior vice-president of Calgary housing for Brookfield Residential, which is behind the mixed-use Seton development in the southeast and the recently announced Livingston community in the city's north.

New building codes on the horizon

The national standards that inform provincial building codes have received their twice a decade overhaul, however some of the changes may not take effect in Alberta for a awhile.

Every five years, Codes Canada (formerly the National Model Construction Codes), under National Research Council Canada, is updated to reflect changing needs and demands in residential and building construction. The 2015 edition includes approximately 600 changes to building, fire and plumbing codes.

Among the major changes to building codes is an increase in the minimum run dimension on interior stairs (the depth of the step) from 210 mm to 254. André Laroche, manager of regulatory solutions for Codes Canada, says this increase may reduce falls by as much as 64 per cent.

Livingston to eventually house 30,000 people

Calgary's newest community came online this week as Brookfield Residential lifted the veil on its new Livingston development in the city's north that, when completed, will house as many as 30,000 people.

Covering more than 500 hectares straddling Centre Street north of Stoney Trail, Livingston is the first master-planned community in north Calgary within the past 20 years. It will include an estimated 10,000 homes, and will be anchored by a major activity centre that will include an estimated one million square feet of retail and institutional space,

Ward 3 Coun. Jim Stevenson, who attended the official construction launch June 28, calls Livingston "a new city north of the ring road."