A n attached home has many benefits, but there are a few things to be aware of if you are planning to buy. Working with a REALTOR® experienced in this type of real estate will help you navigate the buying process.

Duplexes, townhomes, and other attached homes are popular in neighbourhoods throughout Calgary, but demand for high-end attached homes is highest in the inner city.

The appeal of these homes, which are often priced around the $1-million mark, is not only premier finishings, but also the established and amenity-rich communities where they are located.

Avi Urban, the multi-family arm of award-winning builder Homes by Avi, has recently launched two innovative projects in Calgary's new northern community of Livingston.

Limited budget need not limit buyer options

A dollar may not go as far as it used to, but $300,000 can still take Calgary homebuyers a long way.

"At that price, you could look at a one- or two-bedroom apartment with underground or outside parking, and an elevator if you want a high-rise," said Monique Windrem, a REALTOR® and leasing agent with Hope Street Real Estate Corp. "You might get extra storage, and if you opted for a one-bedroom, you may also have a gym, concierge and security if you're not set on living downtown."

Diversity and volume of home options offer something for homebuyers of every stage

There is no such thing as a "typical" home in the $500,000 to $750,000 price range in Calgary's market today.

"It is more than a starter home, but no mansion," said Ray Riley, a REALTOR® with RE/MAX First. "It could even be a teardown in a desirable (inner-city) neighbourhood, or a luxury apartment downtown. It just depends on what the buyer is looking for, and where."

Geoff Snider and Micaela Mailath found the perfect mix of size and location in South Calgary townhome

Geoff Snider and Micaela Mailath are "downtown people" who appreciate living in an area with a cosmopolitan vibe – close to restaurants, pubs and grocery stores. But they also love nature and what Calgary has to offer when it comes to sports. In fact, Snider is a former professional lacrosse player, who currently plays on Team Canada. He is also an entrepreneur with two businesses. Both he and Micaela, who is in sales, work from home, so when their 600-square-foot Eau Claire condo started to feel a little cramped, they began looking for a larger space. They found the perfect mix of size and location in South Calgary, where they purchased a townhome by inner-city homebuilder RNDSQR.

Trevor Gibbs and Melissa Wellingtan doubled their living space with a new Airdrie townhome

Trevor Gibbs and Melissa Wellingtan both love to whip up culinary gems in the kitchen – he loves to cook and she enjoys baking. But with a nine-year-old son, a 17-year-old cat, and the fact that Trevor works from home, space in their 800-square-foot, two-bedroom Airdrie condominium was at a premium. The small space made it hard to move around the home, let alone cook or entertain.

So, in December of last year, the couple started looking for a bigger space with room for the family to grow. They found everything they were looking for, including a state-of-the-art kitchen, at the Gates at Hillcrest in Airdrie, a townhome development by Mattamy Homes.

ARRIVE at Bowness caters to attainable housing needs

Attainable Homes Calgary Corp. (AHCC), in partnership with Partners Development Group, recently lifted the veil on ARRIVE at Bowness, a new BuiltGreen townhouse development in city's northwest.

AHCC acquired the land from the City of Calgary when the organization was created in 2009. It has been planning the development with input from local residents for several years.

AHCC president and CEO John Harrop said the project's design was inspired by its surroundings.

Homeowners don't have to sacrifice with new townhome development in southeast Calgary

The elusive trifecta of location, luxury and livability has long eluded downsizers in Calgary – until now.

Brookfield Residential has developed the Holy Grail of compact living with Mosaic Riverstone in Cranston's Riverstone, a 64-unit stacked luxury townhome development in southeast Calgary with two- and three-bedroom floor plans ranging in size from 1,400 to 1,600 square feet and priced from the mid-$400,000s.

"Cranston's Riverstone is an absolutely amazing and beautiful community," said Kelly Halliday, Brookfield Residential's business development manager for Calgary Homes.

Inner-city homeowners look up, not out

Good things come in threes – or so goes the superstition.

Calgary's homebuilding industry seems to have taken this to heart, with three-storey infill homes emerging as a solution to what experts say is growing demand for "vertical" detached living options in inner-city communities.

"It is very cost effective to build up versus build out," said Ron Butler, president of New West Luxury Estate Homes, which builds about 10 infills per year. "And building out is not an option given the limits of the lot."

The City of Calgary currently limits the amount of land a home can occupy in a given lot, ranging from 40 to 50 per cent, depending on its zoning and size. Three-story homes provide a solution to providing additional living space where that ratio is already being tested, said Butler.