Don't abandon your garden too soon

The back of the truck was full of flowers – even though they still looked decent. The gardener, in this case, wasn't about to wait until all her blooms were frozen in her beds and flowerpots, so she was tearing everything out early.

Dead flowers are a downer and no one wants to look at them for the next eight – yes eight – months. 

How to avoid costly mistakes before you have keys in hand

 Many homebuyers do not realize that even with an approved mortgage and after meeting the  necessary financing conditions, they are not guaranteed a loan until it has funded on the  closing date.

There are several things to consider to ensure a mortgage closes smoothly, and on time.

The first thing is avoiding the need to take on additional credit. While it may be tempting to load up on new furniture and appliances, do not apply for a loan to buy them. Even an interest-free, no-payment loan can affect whether someone qualifies for a mortgage. Wait until you have the keys to your new house before borrowing money.

A handful of early communities in the area helped Calgary grow to the city it is today

More than 130 years ago, Calgary consisted of a fort surrounded by prairie grasses, First Nations tribes and settlers making a fresh start in the new west.

Today, the city is home to more than one million people and represents the industry engine of Canada's thriving economy.

Still, many of the communities founded yesterday remain today. Here's a snapshot of just a few:

Family transforms its home for scares and charity

Not satisfied with simply adorning their lawn with a few pumpkins, one Calgary family continues to take its Halloween decorating to the next level.

For the past 27 years, the Campbell family has annually transformed its otherwise-unassuming Rocky Ridge home into a haven for all things horrifying.

St. Patrick's Bridge opening connects East Village to Bridgeland, Sunnyside

After more than a year of delays, the long-awaited St. Patrick's Bridge officially opened to the public this week.

The $25-million pedestrian bridge is expected to see more than 4,000 people annually traversing between the communities of Bridgeland and Sunnyside north of Memorial Drive to the revitalized East Village. Officials at the grand opening said it will cater to walkers and cyclists heading in and out of downtown, as well as improve access to nearby attractions such as Fort Calgary and the Calgary Zoo.

Do you believe in ghosts? If you're a non-believer, Calgary Ghost Tours just might change your mind.

Around for eight years, the company started organizing tours around the historic communities of Inglewood and Kensington – as well as downtown and even Banff – in the search for signs of the dearly departed. Guests also get to learn more about the city's history along the way. Johanna Lane of Calgary Ghost Tours took some time out of her day to chat with CREB®Now about her favourite stop on the tour and what films make her check the closet before heading to bed.

CREB®Now: ?What is a Calgary Ghost Tour?

Lane: Calgary Ghost Tours are tours that combine historical information with ghost stories. We tell you the history of places and then who we think is still "hanging" around.

* In this three-part series, CREBNow takes a look at the sinister and spooky side of Calgary's haunted housing history 

Touring Heritage Park's eerie abodes

The accounts all sound like something out of the classic ghost story: lights that turn on with no electricity; windows and doors that seem to open and close themselves; even sightings of a long-dead figure - returned from beyond the grave for reasons unknown – in an upstairs window.

A new luxury condo development is headed for Mission.

The XII includes 14-storeys of suites each spanning an entire level, with the exception of two, two-level suites.

"Research led us to what we have today which is essentially 12 single-family homes that happen to be stacked on top of each other and we determined nothing like this existed in Calgary, just elsewhere like Vancouver, New York and other cities of equal stature to Calgary so we decided to provide that part of the opportunity," said Stanley Yasin, managing partner for The XII.