Whether you're building a $1-million-plus customized dream home or your family's first abode, the key is finding a place that fits your lifestyle.

Are green spaces and parks most important? Do you need quick access to roadways or transit to take you to work? Are shops and restaurants nearby? Are there schools for your kids or places to walk your dog?

For those looking to redefine their home for fall with some curated moments of comfort, luxury and connection, look no further than the Calgary Fall Home Show where celebrity designer Amanda Forrest hits the Urban Barn Main Stage, offering tips on current design trends.

When you're selling your home in a buyers' market, the subtleties of staging can make a world of difference.

"Getting an edge on the competition is all about presentation and pricing," said Nancy Ball, a REALTOR® with CIR Realty in Calgary. Ball has come to be known as the "Home Staging Realtor," and these are her tips for home-staging success.

How Calgarians are putting living, working and play areas first

Given Calgary's traffic, the only way to cover the critical elements – live, work and play – in three different parts of the city each day is to cut out the fourth one: sleep.

Fortunately, a new philosophy in home development lets you have it all without sacrificing the shut-eye.
"When you can live, work and play in the same area of the city, it creates a stronger sense of community," said Elton Ma, director of commercial development for Brookfield Residential in Calgary.

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.

When it comes to the names of Calgary communities, some honour early pioneers, others are named after the surrounding landscape and some simply sound like a nice place to live.

Pleasant Heights, Scenic Acres and Sunalta (a mash up of sunny and Alberta) sound like they could have come out of a real estate subdivision name generator. But how do developers actually come up with the names for new communities?

Calgary's 12 business improvement areas (BIAs) represent 20 per cent of city businesses, with over $600 million in assessed property/business value, and $59 million in taxes. They go to bat for almost 5,500 businesses each day.

And while traditionally formed in and around Calgary's core, Iris Li, the City of Calgary's neighbourhood partnership co-ordinator, says four new BIAs are being considered across the city, including in suburban areas.

Five years later, memories of the 2013 flood are still vivid, but Calgary is working hard to make the next one less memorable.

"When I got involved five years ago, I thought the City would be further along than they are now, but we have to appreciate that a ton of work has been done around flood mitigation," said Tony Morris, co-president of the Calgary River Communities Action Group. The grassroots organization advocates for upstream mitigation to protect thousands of homeowners across Calgary.

In just over six months time, an area structure plan (ASP) setting out the vision for a natural, amenity-rich, 570-hectare parcel of land in Calgary's deep south will go before city council.

The proposed new community of Ricardo Ranch is named after an area ranch owned by Calgary Stampede co-founder Senator Patrick Burns, and first established by William Crawley Ricardo.

Wheels are in motion for "Barley Belt" cycle path

More and more these days, people cycle to the office or pedal to the park, so why not bike to the brewery? At the moment, the lack of proper pathways is an issue, but owners of several southeast Calgary breweries are hoping the City of Calgary will pave the way to progress for their customers and staff.