Based in Calgary, Jeff James is vice-president and head of TD's Commercial Real Estate Group for the Prairies. A graduate of the University of Manitoba, James is also a black belt and instructor in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He is currently in the process of opening his own school, which will focus on teaching an anti-bullying program for kids aged nine to 15. CREBNow recently sat down with James to discuss everything from the current market to what he thinks is Calgary's best-kept secret.

CN: Could anyone have predicted the current market?

JJ: If you look back at the economic forecasts from the last 12 months, you can see that no one was predicting oil would drop from approximately $100 to $50 per barrel. In addition, the Bank of Canada's decision to drop interest rates in January took most economists by surprise. So I think it's safe to say people were caught off guard.

The trials and tribulations of dealing with scale in the yard and garden

Last week, I was outside in the shed sorting last year's plastic pots before bringing them inside for cleaning.
When I came in, I noticed a sticky mess on my little lime tree. Sadly, I knew what the trouble was. It was the same trouble I have been tackling since I bought the tree a year ago.

The trouble was scale — insects that have a crawling stage where they march up stems to new leaves, insert their pointy beaks into the leaf and build a hard tortoise cover over themselves, often looking like bumps on a branch.

Smaller stature doesn't have to mean lower expectations

Whether it's empty nesters no longer in need of a family-sized home or homeowners discovering they no longer need so much space, downsizing has become a popular trend in the real estate industry.

The opportunity to shed excess space – usually for a profit – and purchase something smaller has proved too alluring to resist for many Calgarians.

"Making a move to a more affordable house and renovating it to make it more efficient and organized will ensure I enjoy living in it even if it's not a mini mansion," said Angela Hendry, who recently downsized to a smaller home due to a change in her marital situation. "So the upside is I will have a very reasonable mortgage right now, and when the interest rates go up I will still have a beautiful home to live in that I can still afford."

How tone and energy can affect your home sale preparation

When it comes time to sell your home, creating a warm, comfortable place in which would-be buyers can imagine themselves can be as easy as picking up a paintbrush.

"I'm often asked, 'What's the best colour for resale?'" said Krystle Wilk, colour consultant and manager of Southpointe Paint and Décor in southeast Calgary. "Having your home look its best when trying to sell is more than likely to get your home sold quickly and for the best possible price."

Calgary takes steps to addressing housing and infrastructure challenges

A new development in the northwest community of Varsity will provide affordable housing for Calgarians looking for a home of their own.

Attainable Homes Calgary Corp. (AHCC) and Lexington Development Management have joined forces to create the 26-unit project, made up of both attainable and market-priced units on the corner of Shaganappi Trail and Varsity Drive N.W.

"It's a great spot. It's near the university. It's near shopping centres. It's a great location," said Ward 1 Coun. Ward Sutherland. "It's very rare that we actually get to have these types of land even available, so the community's been very supportive. They voted on it, they support the project and so do I."

As CEO of the Urban Development Institute in Calgary, Guy Huntingford knows a lot about what makes a city, and thereby that city's development, tick. Huntingford took some time to chat with CREBNow about everything from urban sprawl to low density development to migration numbers in the city.

Ground was broken today on a new 26-unit Attainable Homes development.

Working with Lexington Development Management and Nyhoff Architecture, the building, on the corner of Shaganappi Trail and Varsity Drive will provide a combination of attainable homes and market-priced units.

Attainable Homes Calgary Corp. (AHCC) is a non-profit, social enterprise - wholly owned by the City of Calgary - delivering entry-level homes for Calgarians caught in the city's affordability gap.

Here's some of what was said at the groundbreaking:

Having received the thumb's up from city planners, an East Village condo to be constructed sans parking stalls is headed to the Calgary Planning Commission tomorrow.

The Calgary Municipal Land Corporation announced in June, the sale of two parcels of land adjacent to the old St. Louis Hotel.

Dubbed N3 to reflect New Attitude, New Living and New Vision the development will have parking for bicycles and "microcars" only. The space will also include social open spaces for entertaining and WiFi throughout. With a marketing platform of "No car, No parking, No problem", each N3 buyer will receive a $500 credit for Car2Go and an urban bicycle.