Believe it or not, winter is coming. Ensuring that your home's cold-weather systems are running efficiently will save you both money and major headaches in the long run. Work your way through this fall home maintenance checklist and you can rest easy knowing that your home and yard are ready for winter:

Getting a mortgage is a straightforward process for many people. However, there are certain buyers whose specific circumstances require a specialized mortgage product.

Kristi Hyson, mortgage associate with Axiom Mortgage Solutions, says some brokers primarily do basic mortgages, so if your needs "don't fit in that box" they might not have a ready solution.

For most people, the purchase of a new home is the largest expenditure they'll ever make. Whether you're spending $200,000 or $600,000, there's little margin for error, which means finalizing your purchase and mortgage documents is no time to cut corners.

A real estate lawyer can help reduce stress for buyers by ensuring all necessary documentation, payments and fee disbursements are in place.

If you're wondering whether it's the right time to say goodbye to your family home and downsize to a home more suitable for your lifestyle and needs, consider these scenarios:

Finding a home you know you can live with can be difficult.

Whether it's a brand-new house from a builder or a resale home, there are a number of things you should look for.

For anyone looking to buy an affordable condo in Calgary, now is the time, with a variety of both townhome- and apartment-style units available for $250,000 or less throughout much of the city.

Calgary's real estate market has been sitting in buyers' conditions for the past five years or so. As we move into 2019, these conditions will more than likely continue. However, if you're trying to sell a home in this buyers' market, here are some simple tricks that can help.

Starting a family is a wonderful thing, but it brings with it the responsibility to childproof your home and eliminate any hazards.

Many homeowners look after their property with great care, staying up to date on maintenance and completing any repairs needed to keep their home in tip-top shape.

However, not everyone is so thorough, so when buying a home, it pays to keep your eyes open for any maintenance red flags that could indicate potentially expensive problems.

Whether old or new, a home is an investment worth protecting.

"The difference between a house the owner has paid attention to and one they have not can be amazing," said Mike Becker, a home inspector for Calgary and surrounding areas with Pillar to Post Home Inspectors.

Homeowners can maintain the value of their investment by monitoring these areas of the home: