Calgary is no concrete jungle

In addition to the streets, sidewalks and skyscrapers that define most large cities, Calgary is blessed with enough parks and natural spaces to leave other major centres green with envy.

"It's very important to have a variety of open spaces for relief from urban living, whether it's pathways for exercise, parks with playgrounds or just a place to kick a soccer ball," said Travis Shaw, planning and development lead with Calgary Parks.

The luxury custom homebuilding process

Hiring a custom builder to construct your perfect luxury home is a partnership requiring clear decisions and several important choices along the way.

Lupi Luxury Homes builds 18 to 25 homes a year priced between $900,000 and $3 million. Two thirds of these homes are in communities with Lupi land positions (like Rock Lake Estates in Rocky Ridge), the final third are in inner-city neighbourhoods where customers or the company have bought individual lots.

New B.C. speculation tax could prompt Albertan vacationers to look closer to home for second-property purchases

Scott Henderson has split his work time between clients in the Okanagan and those in his hometown of Calgary for the last 15 years.

Eight months ago, the marketing/communications agency owner got pre-qualified for a mortgage for a second residence in Kelowna. Then, this February, B.C.'s provincial government announced a speculation tax on out-of-province and foreign owners to discourage buy-up of housing by investors who, it claims, leave homes empty and drive up home prices. A homeowner can avoid the tax by living in, or renting out, the home half the year.

Valuable information for prospective homebuyers

Canada's new mortgage qualification rules and how they could affect you

On Jan. 1, 2018, new mortgage rules came into effect. Under the new rules, Canadian mortgages are subject to stricter qualifying criteria. Ultimately, this means some buyers will have to settle for less expensive homes than they could have qualified for prior to the rule change – up to 20 per cent cheaper in some cases.

All homebuyers must now go through the mortgage stress test:

Lavish Bel-Aire property showcases local builder's talents, and what $6 million can buy in the Calgary luxury market

While the term showhome often denotes a certain level of sophistication, there are properties that take that refinement up a notch. And then there's Bel 35.

Constructed by award-winning builder Rockwood Custom Homes, the 6,400-square-foot home in the community of Bel-Aire isn't your average new build.

Artesia in Heritage Pointe merges luxury and landscape

Ordinarily, luxury and sustainability are not exactly two peas in a pod. However, Artesia at Heritage Pointe is no ordinary community. Situated just outside Calgary city limits south of the Bow River, the development combines urban and rural living, offering more space to roam, less maintenance and a tremendous sense of community, not to mention spectacular views.

"Our vision is to create a lifestyle community in the Heritage Pointe tradition that functions in tandem with the natural landscape and focuses on sustainability," said Bill MacDonald, project manager for land development at Heritage Pointe Properties.

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.).

Read on for stats and fun facts about every community in Calgary's north. This is part two of a two-part series on Calgary communities.

The shifting popularity of new-build home upgrades

Home command centres, extra-large closets, gyms, secondary suites, energy efficiencies and more – the new-build bells and whistles homebuyers are choosing today are all about convenience.

No matter the size of the home, buyers want products that support a busy lifestyle, says Michelle Jakeman, director of sales and marketing for Calbridge Homes.

In-home wine cellars' popularity on the rise

Canadians love to kick back and enjoy a good sip or smooth tipple – after all, we spent $7 billion on wine alone in 2016, according to Statistics Canada. So it's no surprise that people are building the activity into their homes.

Whether a leisure-time imbiber, a hobbyist or a serious collector, wine racks, wine rooms and wet bars have become popular additions to new-home designs and renovated homes alike.