Real estate industry steps up to help Calgarians in need

The holiday season is here, and, for many people, that means food, family, Christmas lights, a visit from Santa and piles of presents under the tree.

But not everyone is so lucky, especially given Alberta's tough economy.

That's why many real estate professionals are stepping up their volunteer efforts this year to put some joy into the lives of their fellow Albertans.

CREB®Now looks back on 2016 with Calgary mayor

CREB®Now had the chance to sit down with Mayor Naheed Nenshi to get his birds-eye view on some of the city's most pressing issues over the past year, including who he believes is Calgary's hero for 2016. Here's what he had to say:

CREB®Now: There has been a lot of discussion regarding the cost of doing business in this city, both in the core and the suburban areas. What is the city doing to minimize their burden in the current economic climate?

New programs could see homeowners coming out ahead

If you've been paying attention, you're aware that, starting Jan. 1, we'll be paying $1.01 more per gigajoule for natural gas to heat our homes and a few extra cents a litre to fuel our cars.

It's the provincial carbon levy, and it's inevitable.

If you're like me, you want to know what the government is going to do with the revenue.

For starters, it's setting up an agency whose goal is to reduce our utility bills, decrease emissions and save energy in general.

Debt might be a fact of life this time of year, but experts warn of long-term impacts

With the holiday shopping season shifting into high gear, many Calgarians will be reaching for their credit cards.

But those decisions about taking on debt to put smiles on faces can be the unwelcome gift that keeps on giving, putting the squeeze on your ability to qualify for your first — or next — mortgage, say experts.

"Where people sometimes make a big mistake is they don't realize how much of an impact their debt has," said mortgage broker Joe Jacobs, president of Mortgage Connection Inc. in Calgary.

Housing industry expert discusses everything from affordable housing to the best room in her home

Marissa Toohey has one of the better views of Calgary's housing industry – and we're not talking about the one out of her living room. As manager of government relations and committees for the Calgary Region at CHBA - UDI Calgary Region Association. Toohey works closely with municipalities in the broader region on matters impacting the building and development industry.

CREB®Now recently had the opportunity to sit down with her to chat about everything from affordable housing to a national housing strategy. Here's what she had to say:

Bring nature indoors for low-cost decorating this season

Michelena Bamford loves the scent of natural evergreens such as junipers, pines, blue spruce, white spruce and cedars in her home.

But the owner of Calgary-based Rocky Mountain Wreaths doesn't limit herself to greens. She also gathers local dogwood, birch and wolfwillow twigs to add to her work. Combined, she says it brings nature into her home and brightens up the dark days of December.

"Different plants that we appreciate at different times of year are really important to me," said Bamford.

New housing collective seeks group approach to affordability issues

Billed as the first of its kind in Alberta, Calgary's Community Housing Affordability Collective (CHAC) launched earlier this month as a collaborative engine for improving housing affordability in the city.

While a number of local organizations already exist to address barriers to shelter, CHAC is unique is its collaborative approach, said Kim O'Brien, executive director of Horizon Housing Society and co-chair of the CHAC steering community.

Future of bike lanes rests in council's hands as Calgary struggles with commuter culture

A few years ago, I stumbled out of a downtown nightclub during the Sled Island music festival to head home at a time so sensible that my younger self would have been horrified.

With my ears still ringing from the music, I rounded the corner onto Stephen Avenue and the view stopped me in my tracks. There were bikes, hundreds of them, parked in overflowing racks set up by organizers of the festival, spilling across the pedestrian mall wherever I looked.

As a long-time bicycle commuter in Calgary, I had grown accustomed to having my choice of prime bike parking because there were so few cyclists around. This, however, was different. I could barely find my bike amid the multitudes. I had never seen so many cyclists in Calgary at one place. It felt like a different city.

Hands-free camera technology offers applications for homeowners

If you had a camera that was always on, aimed and focused on whatever you're looking at, ready to shoot a photo, would you take more — and better — pictures?

Shota Takase is betting you would. That's why the young entrepreneur invented Blincam, a small, glasses-mounted camera that will photograph anything you're looking at, literally in the blink of an eye.

And it's completely hands-free, meaning you can take photos while riding a bike, carrying groceries, cooking or doing just about anything else you can think of.

Knowing your local snow clearing bylaws may not be cool, but it's necessary

Winter is coming, and with it the one chore that many homeowners dread: shoveling their snowy sidewalks and driveways.

And while snow removal is often the last thing homeowners want to do on a chilly winter day, officials say it is important in protecting the public's safety.

"Sidewalks need to be kept clean for public safety, [and] a snow removal bylaw shares that responsibility without adding to municipal costs," said Charlene Ruttle, Cochrane's manager of municipal enforcement.