With a dizzying array of styles and patterns, laminate flooring has become the popular choice

Laminate flooring has come a long way since the early days of shiny-looking fake oak and maple products.

Today there are patterns and designs so realistic "you would never know whether it's real wood or not," said L.J. Boehm, account manager with Dannburg Floor Coverings, and a second-generation flooring expert in the family-owned and operated business.

Lined with charming, independent businesses and loads of historic treasures, small towns are trying to revitalize their main streets

Kelly Warrack describes the movement of businesses out of Strathmore's downtown core to the edge of town as "a fairly typical story for towns like us."

Warrack, who grew up on a farm near Strathmore, says Strathmore's Second Avenue (Main Street) was always the focal point of the town in decades past. "Main Street was the place to go," recalled Warrack, citing the presence of the feed mill, banks, the hardware store, the local Co-op and the King Edward Hotel as among the street's popular destinations. In recent times, however, Warrack says businesses have moved from downtown and have opened along the highway.

Owners and experts explore the ins and outs of operating a vacation rental property

The Gierke family has seen just about everything while renting out their Sylvan Lake vacation home over the past 20 years.

They've housed families, business people and youthful tenants who turned their 840 square foot cottage into a party house.

Avid gardeners should consider elevation, climate and soil before buying a new home

As many Albertans know, we can get some really nasty hail storms. Years ago, when we lived in Airdrie, my kids got pelted by golf-ball-sized hail walking back from school. They survived, but my garden wasn't as lucky; the hail had stripped leaves off trees and pummeled my native orchids into the dirt. After nine years in Airdrie, it was the final straw. We listed the house and moved back to Calgary.

Thankfully, garden enthusiasts can now look up factors that impact their garden, such as elevation, before buying a house. Other factors that affect a garden, like soil and microclimate, can be changed, but elevation is fixed. If you are a gardener looking to buy or sell in a satellite community, here are some gardening tips to consider:

New retail development to take shape near airport

A major regional shopping centre is being planned just north of Calgary's airport, in a burgeoning district.

ONE Properties has plans to develop StoneGate Common as the retail portion of the overall StoneGate Landing project and turn it into a "signature" retail development that will serve northeast Calgary and the greater Calgary region from its location at 128th Avenue N.E. and Barlow Crescent.

StoneGate Landing, directly north of the airport, will include a 10-million-square-foot industrial park, a 2.5-million-square-foot suburban office development, hotels and auto dealerships on about 800 acres.

How to make moving easier on your four-legged family members

For Erika Lagyjanszki, a 25-year-old wedding photographer, moving out of her basement apartment was a stressful ordeal for both her and her pets.

Finding a new rental that would allow her two dogs – Bailey, a four-year-old husky border collie cross, and Diesel, a two-year-old shepherd husky cross – while trying to time the logistics of the move added to her exasperation.

And, while Lagyjanszki had moved before and knew what to expect, she wasn't prepared for the affect the experience had on her pets.

Sunset Homes embraces the next era of digital design with tech-savvy integration

It's like living with the Jetsons," said Scott Silva, as he characterizes the ever-growing trend in high-tech homes.

"The next level of automation in one's home is about intuition and integration based on lifestyle . . . your home will know what your life looks like," said Silva, director of business development for Sunset Homes.

With the purchase of a three bedroom townhome in Walden, a young Calgary couple embarks upon their new life together

On a warm spring day in March, Kristen Lee and Joshua Gregory, both 22, grabbed some coffee to go and set out on a day of touring show homes. They just want to see what was available and enjoy the day, but when they came upon a three bedroom townhome design at Walden Place by Cardel Lifestyles in the southeast community of Walden, they were sold.

At the time, they were both living at home with their parents and had excellent jobs. Kristen is a chemist and Joshua works for a security company, so they had a decent nest egg saved up. They mulled it over for a bit, and a week later, at the beginning of April, they signed the papers and put down their deposit.

A long-time renter transitions into home ownership and begins building tax-free capital gains

Nathan Magee knows a thing or two about renting. Since moving to Calgary in 1999, he has rented apartments, duplexes, houses and rooms in neighbourhoods as disparate as Bridlewood, Marda Loop, Forest Lawn and downtown.

Magee rented for 14 years in Calgary before deciding it was time to buy in 2013.

"What really pushed my wife and I over the edge was a combination of things. We were renting a house in Marda Loop at the time and the place got broken into four times. Plus, the rent was going up to $2,000 a month. That's when we thought, 'Let's get out of here and look at buying,'" recalled Magee.

Wet bars and wine cellars are becoming key features in Calgary homes, putting a new twist on those gaudy, circa '70s basement lounges

Basements are going upscale.

If you're looking to make your home stand out in Calgary's real estate market, it's no longer simply a matter of having a finished basement with some storage, an extra bedroom, full bathroom and a media room.

These days, Calgary's better homes are stealing a page from the 1970s – complete with wet bar and wine cellar to create an air of hospitality.