How to control almost everything in your home with your phone

Want to have the coolest home on the block? Then fill it with all the latest smart home devices.

"A lot of people are familiar with smart home, and they have bits and pieces of it, but are looking at expanding," said Steven Toews, general manager of Best Buy's Deerfoot Meadows location.

According to Toews, smart lighting is the top-selling smart home category.

Imagine all the stories. As part of CREB^®’s 75 anniversary celebration, we thought It’d be fun to ask 75 Calgary REALTORS^® about their advice for first time buyers and to recount their own experience entering the market for the first time.

Check out some of the 75^th yearbook REALTORS^® below.

Downtown office market begins bounce back

People who have lived and worked in Calgary for a long time know that the downtown office market is a great barometer of what's happening in the city's overall economy.

For the past couple of years, record vacancy rates in the heart of the city have made headline news, not only in Calgary, but nationally.

However, a recent report by commercial real estate firm Avison Young suggests we've hit the bottom and there's nowhere to go but up.

Calgary developers are getting creative in tough condo market

Like much in life, the only constant in the housing market is change. Buyer tastes are ever evolving, and developers of new-build condo projects in Calgary must keep pace.

"Homebuyers today know what they want and need in a new home," said Nicole McLaws, marketing manager at Hopewell Residential. "They want excellent quality, timeless style, affordable pricing and a location that works for their lifestyle."

To meet those needs, developers offer a range of floor plan layouts and sizes, with stylish finishings and long-lasting materials. At the same time, they are keeping one eye squarely on the big picture.

Five simple tips for new-home horticulture

What makes a new home your new home? When you plant petunias, of course – or tomatoes, or your grandma's old peony...

This month, we celebrate your new home garden with five simple tips for success:

Bucci Developments continues commitment to the community with Radius

Radius has risen in Bridgeland, with less than a year remaining before homeowner occupancy.

And demonstrating its continued faith in the inner-city neighbourhood, builder Bucci Developments is already at work on another proposed mixed-use project.

The roof has been placed on the seven-storey, 201-unit Radius, and cabinets and floorings are now going in, says company vice-president Mike Bucci.

"We took a risk pulling the trigger on construction" during the downturn, he says, but it will be worth it at the end of the day.

Home trends from Calgary's new-build market

Cultural and economic shifts are pushing this year's housing trend line into both large and small homes in Calgary's new-build market.

Large-volume builders Homes by Avi and Mattamy Homes are seeing demand for four-bedroom homes in their northern neighbourhoods, as many customers – particularly from Asian or Indo-Canadian backgrounds – seek multi-generational homes.

And where price is key, the shift continues towards attached units like duplexes and townhomes that come without condo fees, as well as smaller, single-family homes without past years' glitzy upgrades.

For many people, buying a first home is an exciting, but stressful, experience. CREB®Now spoke with a few members of Calgary's business community to find out what it was like making that first big investment in their lives.

Given our climate, it's no surprise that Calgarians spend a lot of time indoors. Fortunately, the latest design trends offer some exciting ways spice up your home's interior. From colours to curves, let Alykhan Velji of Alykhan Velji Designs and LeAnne Bunnell of LeAnne Bunnell Interiors walk you through a range of options to keep you on the cutting edge.