A celebration of the attractions and places that make this city great.

Overture at Currie Barracks offers luxury living in one of Calgary's most exclusive and accessible communities

For homebuyers looking to downsize while maintaining the luxurious feel and amenities of a much larger space, a penthouse condo at Overture in Currie Barracks could be the perfect fit.

Overture is a four-storey, three-building collection of 63 upscale, executive, single-level living residences and penthouse condos brought to life by Jayman Modus. However, only two fourth-floor penthouse condos are still available – interested homebuyers need to act fast if they want to carve out a space in this exclusive new development and in-demand community.

"These penthouse condos are the ideal setting for working professionals and mature couples looking for luxury living in a complete, central community," said Ray Laprairie, a REALTOR® with Jayman Realty.

A celebration of the attractions and places that make this city great.

Professional legal help can benefit any real estate transaction

Buying or selling a home is a process that benefits greatly from professional help, and that especially true on the legal side of things.

Calgary Legal Guidance (clg.ab.ca) has information on selling and buying real estate in its Dial-A-Law series, including the role a lawyer plays.

Jeffrey Kahane of Kahane Law Office in Calgary says most people don't get a lawyer involved until the conditions of a sales agreement are waived, "because then you've got a firm deal."

Keeping park-side gardens free of unwanted visitors is a constant struggle

There is a dark side to living close to parks when you have a garden: wildlife. Park animals will always prefer your tasty seeds and expensive perennials over the slim pickings in the park.

"I have a severe squirrel problem here ... they are digging up the seeds I keep replanting," said my friend Jeannine Oakes. I laughed, but should have been more sympathetic.

Deer are also a frequent nuisance for many people that live near parks, but there are ways to stop them from feasting on your garden.

CREB®'s Charitable Foundation celebrates 30th anniversary

Most will gift pearls to celebrate their 30-year anniversary, but CREB®'s Charitable Foundation is going the more practical route with a gift of $300,000 to support local non-profits through its Investing in HOPE program.

Since 1987, the Charitable Foundation has contributed more than $6 million to more than 150 non-profit organizations in the community.

"The Investing in HOPE program is so special for so many reasons," said Aneve MacKay-Lyons, manager of CREB®'s Charitable Foundation.

"Our 30-year legacy has helped numerous charities and with this being one of our biggest funding initiatives ever, we're about to be a part of something incredibly impactful for local families and the community."

Family on a "mini-vacation every day" at their new Auburn Bay home

The moment Jennifer and Justin Humphries drove through the entrance gates into Auburn Bay, one of Calgary's newest lake communities, they were sold on the lake lifestyle. That was five years ago in 2012, when the couple was living in McKenzie Towne and had recently had their first child. They wanted more from their neighbourhood, and lake living was a top priority. Auburn Bay checked all of the couple's boxes.

Demand for detached housing continues to rise

The detached housing market continues to lead the way in Calgary's slow but steady recovery from a two-year recession. It is the fourth consecutive month of price increases in this segment of the market.

For the first time since June 2015, prices for detached homes did not decline on a year-over-year basis. Unadjusted detached benchmark prices reached $509,000 in May – one per cent higher than last month and levels recorded last year.

Detached sales improved across all price ranges and represented 65 per cent of all Calgary sales in May, the highest level since 2012. The largest detached sales growth occurred in the $600,000 - $999,999 range.

The number of Albertans spending money on renovations for their existing homes and recreational properties is on the rise.

According to Statistics Canada, investment in home renovations in the first quarter of 2017 hit a record high of $1.78 billion. A release from ATB Financial's Economics and Research Team says this is close to double the spending a decade ago.

Todd Hirsch, chief economist with ATB Financial, says he was surprised by the data for the first three months of this year.

"The increase that we saw in late 2016 and the first quarter of this year can be attributed to the rebuild in Fort McMurray (from last year's wildfires) because not every house was destroyed, which we tend to focus on." he said. "There were also many, many homes that needed to be renovated."

Higgy's Bluff project brings Bankview residents together

A chance discovery of a vacant lot in Bankview has led to plans for the creation of a temporary community park.

Local resident Chad Peters had noticed an empty residential lot at the corner of 14th Street and 25th Avenue S.W. during his walks and wondered who owned it and what it was being used for.

Peters says with the help of the Bankview Community Association, the property owner was contacted with a proposal to turn the lot into a new community space, subject to that use ending once the lot was scheduled for development.