Tim Logel and Ryan Ockey team up to bring Logel Homes to life

For more than three decades, Tim Logel has worked at Cardel Homes, and for the past 17 years he has been a 50-50 partner with Ryan Ockey in Cardel Lifestyles, the company's successful multi-family division.

Now, the two have teamed up again to bring Logel Homes to the Calgary marketplace and to continue to offer affordability and quality in their product.

"Logel Homes has been two years in the making," said Logel, president and COO of Logel Homes. "I approached Ryan with the idea and he thought the same as I did, that Logel Homes would provide an opportunity to grow market share."

But, for Logel, there was another reason for reaching out with the idea of creating the new multi-family entity.

New communities and developments in bustling town offer more choices for would-be residents

The explosive growth that Cochrane continues to enjoy is evident when Mayor Ivan Brooker reels off the names of more than a dozen new communities either under development or in the planning stages in the scenic town west of Calgary.

"We've had huge growth – we were the second-fastest growing community in all of Canada from 2011 to 2016," said Brooker.

"People love the location. We're a beautiful community, you're on your way to the mountains, and we're not a small town necessarily, in the aspects of not having services. We have everything you would expect in a big city. The amenities are there for anything you might want to entertain as a family."

Inn from the Cold reports consistent number of bed stays to 2015

A haven of hope – that's how many guests at Inn from the Cold describe Alberta's only barrier-free shelter exclusively for families, which continues to see capacity-like numbers leading into one of its busiest times of the year.

"One of the things we're doing here is restoring dignity," said director of donor relations Janeen Webb.

In the face of Alberta's ongoing economic downturn, Inn from the Cold has reported about 30,000 bed stays so far in 2016. Webb said that's consistent with 2015 when the organization saw almost 40,000 stays by year's end.

Lake communities merge city and cottage life for an experience you can't get anywhere else in Calgary

Greg Macdonald is a self-described "fishing fool."

"I'm either fishing, or thinking about fishing," he said, laughing.

This love of fishing is one of the reasons Macdonald and his wife are buying back in to the community of McKenzie Lake.

"We first bought a house in McKenzie Lake in 1999," said Macdonald.

"We sold it a couple of years ago when the market started to turn, but we just bought back in the area, because we loved lake living so much."

Planned Green Line could make Calgary neighbourhoods more liveable, desirable

The upcoming Green Line will help make Calgary a more environmentally friendly place to live.

But it's also likely to make the grass look a little greener when it comes to property values in communities the multi-billion-dollar Light Rail Transit (LRT) line will serve.

"When you're looking for creative, educated and talented people, LRT access helps attract them when you have a city because it helps create diverse communities and streetscapes, and culturally distinct and diverse amenities with high quality design," said Misty Sklar, Green Line planning lead (transit oriented development) for the City of Calgary.

Development at former Shawnee Slopes golf course continues with new multi-family offerings

Finally.

"After looking at it on paper for the past two or three years, it's nice to see this day come," said Patrick Briscoe, director of development project management for Toronto-based Graywood Developments, which will be launching sales for the new Fish Creek Exchange on June 17.

Fish Creek Exchange is the 23-acre, multi-family portion of the trendy Shawnee Park community in southwest Calgary that has sprung up on the site of the former Shawnee Slopes golf course.

Attainable Homes helps Calgarians make ownership dream a reality

Attainable Homes Calgary Corporation celebrated its 800th homeowner on June 7 through its non-profit down-payment assistance program started in 2009.

Launched by the City of Calgary to help retain integral professionals in the city despite a growing housing affordability gap, the program removes barriers for potential homeowners in a variety of circumstances.

Whether it's newcomers to Canada making a fresh start, young couples putting off marriage and children until they own a home, or individuals uncertain they can achieve ownership on their own, the organization has helped ease families into home ownership.

Southwest BRT will offer residents more options and make communities more accessible

While too many choices can be overwhelming, options are generally a good thing.

That's the rationale behind the new Southwest Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. One of four additions to Calgary's primary transit network, the project includes construction of new bus-only travel lanes and new BRT stations.

"For southwest Calgary, and especially south of the reservoir, this system gives people an effective transit choice that gets them not just into downtown, but also connects with major hubs along the way," said Brian Pincott, city councillor for Ward 11.

Calgary's urban parks offer nearby residents a slice of the great outdoors in the heart of the city

At the beginning of July last year, John and Ildi Arlette took their first-ever walk through Confederation Park.

By the end of that month, they had bought a home in Mount Pleasant sitting near the crescent-shaped green space that stretches across 162 hectares – including eight hectares of wetlands – in northwest Calgary.

"We were on a date night and someone had told me about Confederation Park," said John Arlette. "Ildi is from Ontario and I realized I hadn't shown her much of Calgary – I hadn't even been to the park myself."

After that visit, the Arlettes sold their home in Signal Hill, becoming both inner-city – and park-side living – devotees.

The 2017 ROAR Awards recognize local REALTORS® in five categories

The real estate industry has a reason to celebrate. On May 27, top local REALTORS® gathered for CREB®'s annual ROAR Awards, an event that's unlike any other in the business.

The ROARs, which stand for Recognizing our Accomplished REALTORS® (ROAR) Awards, recognize those who demonstrate role model-calibre performance and unwavering professionalism in the real estate industry.

Recipients are honoured in five categories, including Commitment to Education, Community Impact, Marketing Excellence, Mentorship Distinction, and The People's Realtor.