Taking high-tech outside the home

* Home is Where the Tech Is: With new technology designed to make the lives of homeowners easier arriving every day. CREBNow explores some of the tech trends designed to help get the best out of your home.

When most homeowners think technology, their thoughts likely turn toward those gadgets designed to add entertainment, safety or convenience to the home.

However, technological advances designed to improve the lives of homeowners need not be cooped up indoors.
Although not as flashy as a new 4K curved screen television, the high-tech contraptions being made for use outdoors can still provide plenty of purpose.

The City is hold two information sessions to share the revised application to redevelop a piece of Paskapoo Slopes east of Canada Olympic Park.

"Following public engagement that took place in the summer, the applicant has recently provided a revised proposal," said David Couroux, senior planner with the City's Planning Department. "We've had a chance to review the revised application and would like to not only share this with the public, but gather feedback specific to building  heights and visual impacts to help further refine the plan."

CREB Charitable Foundation accepting funding applications from local charities

The deadline  for charities to apply for this year's Governors' Grants in March 31.

The CREB Charitable Foundation's Governors' Grants program awards funds to charities that support housing and shelter-related initiatives in the Calgary and area community.

Genesis launches new campaign for REALTORS, buyers

Genesis Builders has launched a new campaign designed to provide REALTORS® and their buyers with more information about the benefits of buying new.

The award-winning land developer recently launched its We Love REALTORS® campaign — through social media blasts and an email newsletter — in its ongoing effort to partner with industry professionals who corporate marketing manager Jesse Coderre sees as partners in giving homebuyers pertinent information about all their purchase choices.

More than 100 Calgarians have no attended the seminar

The success of Cash Flow Club has not been a surprise.

Mortgage360's innovative, yet simple approach to real estate investment has been a huge  success, with more than 100 Calgarians having already taken the course, and more than a dozen property investments made as a direct result.

The market conditions in Calgary are perfect for smart long-term investing in real estate. The fundamentals are sound and the Calgary real estate market is showing the expected volatility in the market was more media hype than factual forecasting.

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."