New mortgage rules plus cost factors equal big decisions for today's home buyer

Brad Ridler sounds like many first-time homebuyers, anxious to move into his just purchased condo and start putting "a lot of good things in motion."

But when the 32-year-old Ridler and his fiancée Courtney Boyce started their home search more than a year ago, the marketing professional was acutely aware of all the obstacles, including certain financial requirements associated with new mortgage rules.

City-wide prices hold steady in April as labour market conditions pick up

It's not a completely new look at this point, but it's definitely newish.

With recent improvements in the labour market and a balanced detached sector, city-wide benchmark prices reached $439,600 in April, similar to the previous month, but 0.90 per cent below last year's levels.

Craig Iseke used his cabinetmaking skills to renovate his '70s bungalow and is loving the results

High school teacher and journeyman cabinetmaker Craig Iseke has two loves: hanging out in the mountains (doing outdoorsy things like biking, hiking, snowshoeing, skiing and fishing ), and designing and crafting wood furniture. So when he decided to sell his Marda Loop home and look for something a little more off the beaten path, but closer to the school that he was teaching at, he had a long list of must-haves. First on that list was space to store all his sporting gear. After searching MLS® System Listings for close to five months, he found an 1,100 square foot bungalow on a 50-foot lot in the southwest community of Braeside. The home, built in 1972, was in need of a renovation, an endeavor right up Iseke's alley.

Gardening technology can automate the watering of your garden and can even tell you when your plants need nutrients

When it comes to gardening, there are three kinds of people. First, there are those who have zero interest in getting their hands dirty. They wouldn't know a hosta from a hydrangea, and are happy with a house full of artificial plants.

Then there are the hard-core green thumbs. They start flowers and vegetables indoors in March. Their favourite channel is HGTV, and they listen avidly to radio call-in shows whenever gardening is the topic. Their idea of a perfect winter afternoon is hanging out in a garden centre greenhouse.

Is there a glimmer of hope in Calgary's struggling downtown office market?

A new report by Avison Young suggests the market may be turning the corner following a brutal two years of ploughing through a recession.

The vacancy rate in the core was 23.9 per cent in the first quarter of the year, up from 17.6 per cent a year ago, but basically unchanged from year-end 2016.

"The first-quarter 2017 vacancy level actually represented positive news as the market took its first steps in halting its overall downward trend," said the commercial real estate company.

Todd Throndson, principal and managing director of Avison Young's Calgary office, says the downtown office market appears to have hit a pause in its rising vacancy.

Owning a home with an indoor or outdoor pool is a rarity in Calgary. If you dream of owning a backyard lagoon, here are some considerations before you dive in.

Imagine having your own private swimming pool – a place to entertain, exercise or just kick back and listen to the soothing sounds of moving water.

Lynn Lucyshyn, owner of Oasis Pools & Spas, says pools are a luxury few Calgarians enjoy. Her company installs as many as 12 pools in a good year, but as few as three in slower years.

According to CREB®, only 167 properties listing pools as a feature were sold in 2016. In that same year, the average sale price of a detached home with an indoor or outdoor pool was $974,388.

Launched in 2007, the Waterfront development has been ten years in the making with plenty more to come

The Waterfront development, an 11-building project, has become a landmark in downtown Calgary for Vancouver-based developer Anthem.

Elva Kim, vice-president of sales and marketing for Anthem, says five buildings have been completed now with close to 630 units just east of Eau Claire Market and along the Bow River.

"It's great. It's absolutely a landmark development for Anthem, both in terms of product, timing and location," said Kim.

By following three simple rules, you can keep your apartment plants happy and healthy

They say you should raise a plant before you raise a pet – it's a warm-up activity. At the very least, tropical plants are easier to take care of, and cheaper too.

Apartment-ready plants, typically in four inch (9 cm) pots, are available at most grocery stores. At that size they're not a big financial or emotional investment. Plus, tiny tropical varieties are just so cute. Before bringing home a baby houseplant, however, it's important to think of the light and space you have available in your apartment.

With a multitude of projects underway in Okotoks, Chestermere and south Calgary, Anthem United is set up for a busy year

The name may be new, but the passion for creating communities remains as ingrained as ever.

Just last month, United Communities completed the process of changing its name to Anthem United, which reflects its corporate relationship with the Vancouver-based developer, investment and management company, Anthem.

Founded some 83 years ago as United Management, this is only the second time the company has changed its name. In the 1990s, the rebrand to United Communities came about when the company's focus shifted to greenfield development, says Steve LePan, marketing director for Anthem United.

Selling a home can be a complicated process and if you've never worked with a real estate expert before, you may wonder about benefits of doing so. Andrew Peck, president of the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) shares his thoughts on five benefits a REALTOR® provides to home sellers. Their number one goal is to make real estate transactions as simple and easy as possible for their clients.