But don't go to your bank for a variable rate

Variable-rate mortgages are once again returning to popularity thanks to low interest rates  and the expectation the Bank of Canada will lower the overnight rate again in the near future.

For the last several years, consumers have favoured fixed-rate mortgages primarily due to the expectation rates would rise before they fell. Those expectations however, have not been fulfilled. In fact, the opposite has ensued and rates have gone lower not higher.

Many who recently took out five year fixed mortgages are now realizing they would have fared better with a variable-rate mortgage.

Setting the Stage: Tips and tricks for making your house inviting for potential buyers or transforming it into the house of your dreams.

Tips for prepping our home to be sale-ready*

When selling a home, first impressions can be the difference between someone making an offer or moving on to the next option.

Home staging is one way of preparing your home for looking its best at sale time. A study by the Real Estate Staging Association found 79 per cent of homes staged prior to listing sold faster than homes being staged post-listing.

Recreation properties still a hot commodity

Ask any Calgarian what they love most about the city they call home, and invariably you'll hear about the mountains, lakes and other attractions sitting well outside of city limits.

For those with the means, living life to the fullest often involves purchasing a second home situated closer to such locales and allowing owners the ability to ski, swim, golf or simply bask in the sunshine moments from their front door.

CREB president Corinne Lyall has joined a litany of other Calgary names in the new campaign In It Together.

"With all the negative talk in the media and the community about the price of oil and the economy, we believe that it's time to turn the tables on the situation and focus on solutions," reads the website.

In It Together is the "brainchild" of Jeff Bradshaw, owner of video agency V Strategies, with the co-operation of his staff as well as Calgary Economic Development.

Joining Lyall in making comments on the site are names such as Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Phil Robertson of Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters and Steve Allan, chairman of Calgary Economic Development.

See Lyall's video below:

February sales activity remains low

Read the monthly stats package in full here.

Year-over-year new listings growth eased from 37 per cent last month to nine per cent in February. However, as sales activity remained below long term averages for the month, Calgary inventory levels rose to 5,474 units in February.

"While housing supply levels continue to be higher than we have seen in this market for some time, they remain below February 2008 record highs of nearly 7,000 units," said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie. "If the pace of growth in new listings continues to ease, this could place some downward pressure on the supply growth in the resale market."

Add personality to your home through wall coverings

Once a sign of a bygone era, wallpaper has re-emerged as a creative way of adding a touch of luxury to the home.

"Wallpaper adds a texture and design that can't be achieved through paint or even art by covering such a large surface area," said Krystle Wilk, store manager with Southpointe Paint and Décor in the southeast.

"Depending on the space, wallpaper will make a room feel complete. Whereas if there was nothing added, the room would just look good, not great."

Indulge in the big-cinema feel from home with a personal home theatre

Whether you want to indulge in the brilliant colours of Gone With the Wind, storm the beaches of Normandy with Saving Private Ryan, or tickle your funny bone with a classic like Animal House, indulging in a home theatre can be just the ticket.

In a survey by Coldwell Banker, home theatres ranked sixth on the list of most important amenity in the home, following open-floor plans, home automation, pools, outdoor kitchens and home gyms. The importance of home theatres jumped 23 per cent for people under the age of 55, according to the survey.

Increased listings allow for more variety when buying in the luxury market

Gizella Davis has been through this all before.

The 38-year real estate veteran with Royal Lepage Foothills has lived through the peaks and valleys of Calgary's inherently cyclical housing market – including the most recent, which has felt the full force of a downturn in oil prices.

Yet from experience, she's "not concerned one bit" about how the industry – in particular the luxury housing segment – will react long term.