Single-level homes are in high demand among retirees planning for their future

For active senior JoAnn Fetzner, who golfs three times a week and travels widely, one-level, bungalow living was an obvious choice for the rest of her life.

For empty-nester Patti Clarkson, 54, who is easing her way into retirement, her recently purchased bungalow villa will be the perfect "forever home."

For both women, finding a single-level home was a priority – part of their long-term planning for possible mobility issues down the road.

Opulence, extravagance, and splendour are words typically used to describe homes of the rich and famous. Those words also apply to Calgary with its fair share of what are considered luxury dwellings.

Today's retirement communities are designed to keep up with a new generation of active, engaged seniors

Dorothy Baker, 92, is perched on the edge of a chair in an elegant sitting room in Lake Bonavista Village Retirement Residence, her neon-pink toenails poking out from a pair of white sandals. A resident of Lake Bonavista Village for the past eight years, Baker exemplifies the modern senior: someone who is active, engaged and often busier than those folks still working the nine-to-five grind. She's the treasurer of Lake Bonavista Village's knitting club, she organizes bridge games for residents, and she serves as one of the village's welcome hostesses for newcomers to its population of more than 200 residents.

Residents of Calgary's dynamic campus communities benefit from youthful energy and added amenities

Bob Benson fondly recalls many a Bermuda Shorts Day – the University of Calgary's annual end-of-academic-year celebration – at the Benson home in the northwest community of Varsity.

"We'd host a Bermuda Shorts Day breakfast with ham and pancakes. Kids would congregate at our place at 8:30 a.m. or 9 a.m. and then head over to the university," said Benson, adding he and his wife moved to Varsity in 1988 with the hope that the community's proximity to the university would make it easier for his four children to attend. Apparently, it worked – three of Benson's children studied there.

Varsity is one of several Calgary communities that borders a post-secondary institution. That proximity comes with all the pros, and the occasional con, of living near a large body of students.

Popularity of condo living among seniors is on the rise

When it comes to choosing a home later in life, age often brings thoughtful consideration of what really matters. More and more in Calgary, that wisdom is leading seniors to choose condominiums as the place to live out their golden years.

"Five years ago, when we tracked inner-city demographics, you saw maybe 1-2 per cent of seniors purchasing condos," said Oliver Trutina, vice-president of Calgary-based builder Truman.

"Today, that number is around 20 per cent. Since this is often their third or fourth home purchase, they know what they want and are asking for it."

Community gardens bring neighbourhood residents together

When Lynn MacCallum helped out with the Cliff Bungalow Community Garden during its construction in 2014, it was with a view towards having some garden space of her own.

"We are in a condo, and like many people in the neighbourhood, we didn't have access to growing food in our own gardens," said MacCallum. "I think a lot of people in the garden live in an apartment, so other than growing a couple of herbs in a pot on a balcony, there wasn't much opportunity.

"Growing food was foremost, but what has happened is this community that has been created, which is pretty awesome."

New schools in the works across Calgary

For many homebuyers, especially young families, nearby schools are a major factor when it comes to choosing a house and neighbourhood. While Calgary is full of older, established schools, there are also a number of new schools that have recently opened or are slated to open in the near future – many of them in Calgary's newest communities. Here are the Calgary Board of Education and Calgary Catholic School District's new school projects.

Nearby, quality schools are a must for many Calgary homebuyers

Tiffany Gaura wanted her two young kids to be able to easily walk to school without crossing a busy road.

In March, the family moved into the northeast, inner-city community of Bridgeland, two-and-a-half blocks away from the specialized Langevin School – a Calgary Board of Education (CBE) science school.

Meanwhile, Amanda and Jonathan Corson and their two-year-old son will move into a larger home in their Auburn Bay neighbourhood this November, just a short walk from the community's two new elementary schools – one in the Catholic school system, the other public.

"Whichever school he goes to, he should be within walking distance," said Amanda Corson, who is a teacher herself and who grew up walking to school.

The complicated relationship between millennials and the housing market

When Juliet Burgess, 29, bought her 110-year-old home in Inglewood for the above-list price of $350,000, she says she became the first among her circle of millennial friends to become a homeowner.

"I personally don't know anyone in my age group who owns property," said Burgess, who works in the not-for-profit sector. "We're super lucky to be able to afford to buy.

"I've been saving my whole life, since I was 14. Even with that, my partner's savings and our parents giving us a little bit, we could only put down the minimum for a down payment."

Major renovations and minor modifications to make any home more accessible and livable for seniors

As Canada's population continues to skew older, more and more seniors want to remain in their homes rather than move into a retirement residence or long-term care facility. This preference for "aging in place" has increased the popularity of several home renovations and modifications that make the home more accessible, and easier to navigate, for older individuals. Here are some of the top aging-in-place renovations.