Many people who purchase a new condo at a sales centre let the builder's sales staff guide them through the entire process. However, there are many benefits to having your own REALTOR® assist you with the purchase instead, especially when that Realtor is a Certified Condominium Specialist (CCS).

In a market flush with oversupply and lingering economic difficulties, condo builders need to stand out from the crowd to reach potential buyers.

While some offer trips to Las Vegas or New York to seal the deal, two of Calgary's longtime builders say the key to success in today's market is good developments with incentives that help a buyer's financial bottom line.

For the past couple years, the Calgary condo market has been plagued by elevated inventory, but there has been some improvement in that area over the past year.

Let's look at some key stats that have defined the condo market so far this year in Calgary.

Mowing the lawn and trimming the trees are just a distant memory now. You are safely tucked into your new condo and all you have left to do is decorate!

Not so fast. If you want the benefits nature offers without the associated yard work, it is time to bulk up on houseplants for your new pad. Do it for your health, happiness and creativity, according to author Florence Williams.

For the third consecutive month, sales activity improved over last year's figures, and year-over-year new listings and inventories eased. This trend will help support more stability in the housing market.

Unless your haggling skills are rusty, you would never try to talk sellers up on their price. Yet, when it comes to condo fees on new-build units, going low could come at a high cost down the road.

It seems that every few months, a new story emerges from hot real estate markets like Toronto about a condo project being cancelled, leaving those who bought presale units scrambling to recovery their money and find another place to call home.

But what's the situation in Calgary, and what recourse do buyers here have if a project they've purchased in is cancelled?

New listings coming onto the market continued to decline in June, which is helping to reduce the oversupply of homes in Calgary.