Rise in listings adds options to condo market

Calgary's housing market was a welcome sight to many new homebuyers in January, particularly those dipping their toes into the attached and apartment sectors.

Citywide listings in the categories ballooned by 38 and 52 per cent, respectively, in January compared to the same period last year. Sales, meanwhile, declined by as much as 43 per cent – creating, when combined with an increase in listings, an influx of inventory and thus more options for would-be buyers.

City's multi-family mandate for recycling drawing nearer

The City is urging landlords to start thinking about recycling sooner than later as the deadline nears for new mandatory recycling rules in multi-family units.

"What we're trying to do right now is encourage all the building owners or their designated management group to find a recycling option for their residents that works best for them and their building type," said Parnell Legg, waste diversion specialist with the City.

The City-assessed value of both single residential and condominium properties in Calgary recorded double-digit growth in 2015.

According to the City of Calgary, which mailed out more than half a million property and business notice to residents in early January, the 2015 median single residential assessment grew by 10 per cent to $475,000 from $430,000 in 2014. The median residential condominium assessment, meanwhile, is up 11 per cent to $290,000 from $260,000.

Here are five things you need to know about this year's assessments:

Developer Shape Properties has released renderings and a video on Deerfoot Mall's transformation to Deerfoot City.

"Deerfoot City will be unique to suburban Calgary, and will meet the growing demand from leading retailers and restaurants looking for creative new places with a vibrant, rich social experience and urban feel that differentiates them from traditional malls," said Darren Kwiatkowski, executive vice-president of Shape Properties.

Hot coffee and fires in winter good for both gardens and gardeners

If you are not already on a plane to a tropical destination, you are likely staying put this winter with a hot cup of coffee in front of the fireplace.

My friend Brenda McIntyre was doing just that when she sent a text and asked, whether it was alright to put wood ash from her fireplace into the composter?

"Is once-in-a-while OK?" she asked. "Maybe it will balance off all the acidic coffee grounds I add every day? The Calgary soil is higher pH, so is this useful?"

For real estate investing, Calgary is a safe bet

 It was already the perfect storm for long-term real estate investing in Calgary.

Now, lower interest rates, thanks to the Bank of Canada's unexpected-but-not-unpredictable rate  cuts, are adding fuel to the fire.

Since the beginning of December, I have focused this column on the alignment of five key rules for real estate investors. The rules – only purchase revenue properties in markets where rents are rising, vacancy rates are low, net migration is positive and housing costs are, on average, less than 45 per cent of incomes – have all aligned for the first time in Calgary since 2005. In other words, Calgary is a safe bet.

Small-town community feel, a stone's throw from Calgary city limits
While it's a quick jaunt from Calgary's southern limits, residents of Okotoks are happy with the small-town feel the town possesses.

"I like living in Okotoks because it is family-oriented, family-focused, has a small-town community feel and it is 10 to 15 minutes away from the city," said community resident Charlie-Mae Marlatt.

"There's so much to do here; fishing, rafting and camping, a person can go on and on."

Calgary Home + Garden Show and Revolve Furnishings give $5,000 to Women in Need Society

Two Calgary groups have banded together to make a donation to a Calgary society in the practice of giving back to those who need it most.

After Calgary's Women in Need Society (WINS) retail stores saw three separate robberies in December, the Calgary Home + Garden Show and Revolve Furnishings took the initiative of making a $5,000 donation.

"While we recover, we desperately need to rebuild our inventory to ensure that our programs are not negatively impacted by these incidents," said Yvette Rasmussen, communications and development with WINS.