Increased selection for attached, apartment homes in March

Proving that selection is sometimes the best sales pitch, attached and apartment listings increased year-over-year in March from a combined 1,272 to 1,360, according to CREB®.

The increase comes as combined sales decreased by 28 per cent during the month, from 975 last year to 700 units this year.

Coupled with the fact benchmark prices in the attached apartment sector have softened more than in other sectors – dropping by 1.46 per cent compared to a 0.4 per cent decline in the detached and attached sectors – the increased selection offers prospective buyers an attractive combination.

Communities of Olds and Didsbury full of rich history and community values

As the Calgary and Edmonton Railway (today known as Canada Pacific Railway), started rumbling across Alberta, small towns and villages dotted the boundaries of the track, including Olds and Didsbury.

Olds

Incorporated as a village in 1896, Olds was named for Canada Pacific Railway traffic manager George Olds. Early industry in the town was a brick plant. In 1913, Olds College would be constructed and grow to become one of the most in-demand agricultural education institutions in Canada.

Recreation properties provide fun in the sun and homes away from home

Calgary may be the second best place to live in Canada – as ranked by Money Sense in 2014 – but that doesn't mean residents of the area don't have another abode somewhere where they head for some rest and relaxation.

For those with the means, living life to the fullest often involves purchasing a second home allowing the ability to ski, swim, golf or simply bask in the sunshine moments from their front door.

Nancy and Terry Schmautz of Okotoks purchased a recreation property 20 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico six years ago. Nancy said the couple had spent the last 25 years touring the coast via time shares or cruise ships.

AHCC announces Glenbrook and Varsity developments

With easy access to established amenities, transit and the downtown core, living in Calgary's inner city comes with a lot of perks.

While you may have to dip a little deeper in your pockets to live there – the benchmark average of the inner city, according to CREB®, was $557,100 in February – there are also some affordable opportunities.

With service in high demand, Attainable Homes Calgary Corp. has announced 42 new units in Glenbrook, a community bordered by Sarcee Trail, Richmond Road, 37 Street and 26 Avenue in the city's southwest.

Plenty of new amenities and features slated for Calgary's downtown and beyond

For Mission resident Michelle Norman, living in the inner city allows for a variety of amenities but also some reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the city.

"There are plenty of running paths along the Elbow River, which is beautiful in the evening, and allows you to feel like you've escaped the city for awhile," she said.

"[Mission has] a variety of unique restaurants, coffee shops, pubs and shopping. You can do anything, from taking a yoga class, spin classes or even go and see a little art gallery. It's walking distance from 17th Avenue and the core. The people are really friendly."

Smaller stature doesn't have to mean lower expectations

Whether it's empty nesters no longer in need of a family-sized home or homeowners discovering they no longer need so much space, downsizing has become a popular trend in the real estate industry.

The opportunity to shed excess space – usually for a profit – and purchase something smaller has proved too alluring to resist for many Calgarians.

"Making a move to a more affordable house and renovating it to make it more efficient and organized will ensure I enjoy living in it even if it's not a mini mansion," said Angela Hendry, who recently downsized to a smaller home due to a change in her marital situation. "So the upside is I will have a very reasonable mortgage right now, and when the interest rates go up I will still have a beautiful home to live in that I can still afford."

Coming home to Mother Nature's playground

With its close proximity to Calgary and stunning Rocky Mountain vistas, Redwood Meadows encompasses mountain living.

The area earned its name after a 1940 brush fire that destroyed most of the area. Elders of the T'suu Tina Nation noticed regrowth of trees in that area had a reddish colour to them and dubbed the area "Redwood Yard."

New pathway system further connecting Calgary to its western neighbour

Cochrane's close proximity to Calgary is about to feel a whole lot closer with construction expected to get underway on the first leg of the Calgary to Cochrane Trail this summer.

Phase one of the $7.5-million project will be a 2.2-kilometre stretch entitled Bearspaw Trail, which will join Haskayne Park in northwest Calgary to Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park.

Phase two will include the development of Bowbend Loop and Railway Crossing, which has an expected completion date of 2018, followed by phase three, Bridge to Cochrane, which is expected to be completed by 2020.

Canada Olympic Park communities still hold memories of 1988 Winter Olympics

While the 1988 Winter Olympics are almost three decades in the books, the memories for some Calgarians are as fresh as ever.

Calgarian Duncan Anderson was 15 in 1988. As a "budding ski racer," he took a job as a film runner for Canadian Press during the games.

"Basically my job was to position myself with the photographers until the top racers had finished their runs," he said.

Indulge in the big-cinema feel from home with a personal home theatre

Whether you want to indulge in the brilliant colours of Gone With the Wind, storm the beaches of Normandy with Saving Private Ryan, or tickle your funny bone with a classic like Animal House, indulging in a home theatre can be just the ticket.

In a survey by Coldwell Banker, home theatres ranked sixth on the list of most important amenity in the home, following open-floor plans, home automation, pools, outdoor kitchens and home gyms. The importance of home theatres jumped 23 per cent for people under the age of 55, according to the survey.