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.

When temperatures drop and snow flies, Calgarians need not stay indoors or head out of town to stay active.

Marlo Giannaccari and Chris Roche rang in the new year with new Windsor Park duplex

Marlo Giannaccari, 33, and Chris Roche, 31, began their home search two years ago, armed with a strong vision of their dream oasis. Location was top of mind, as was a modernist design approach and lots of room for their two adorable pooches, Pinot and Bronco. The couple had been living in Marlo's Windsor Park townhome, but they wanted to create a home of their own together. Eventually, they found a four-bedroom, two-storey, new-build duplex in the inner-city neighbourhood of Windsor Park. They moved into their light-filled abode in December, just in time to celebrate the new year.

A crash course in Calgary bridges

Most Calgarians probably don't stop to think about the city's bridges every time they cross over them by car, by bike or on foot. However, many of these important structures have interesting backstories or architectural designs that make them special.

Calgary's lake communities are great for more than just summer fun

While lakes are thought of as a source of summer-time recreation, they also offer plenty of recreational opportunities during the winter months. Just ask Auburn Bay resident Sonja Hayes-Powers. She, along with her husband and two children, moved to Auburn Bay two years ago.

"We moved here specifically to be in a lake community, because it gives you lots of things to do with your kids, both in winter and summer," said Hayes-Powers. "For example, we'll be going to the lake tonight with some friends to go sledding."

Waterfront living comes at a premium in the Calgary market

DaVinci Homes CEO Naheed Kazmi utters three magic words when describing the appeal of the 31-unit Riviera on the Bow in Parkdale, one of her company's most recent projects: "Location, location, location."

"Everybody wanted that location," she said, recalling when the company purchased the land in 2008 and how she has received many calls since over the years from would-be buyers.

Habitat for Humanity celebrates completion of six new affordable homes in Bowness

Habitat for Humanity recently celebrated the completion of six new homes in Bowness that will provide affordable home ownership opportunities to six Calgary families.

"At Habitat, we know how difficult it is for families to break into the housing market," said Gerrad Oishi, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta. "That's why we're committed to working with our community to provide affordable home ownership opportunities for families. We're so thankful for every sponsor, donor, community partner and volunteer who has stepped up to make affordable home ownership opportunities possible for six families in Bowness."

Local REALTORS® build homes with Habitat for Humanity

On Sept. 21, the CREB® Charitable Foundation sent out a team of 24 local REALTORS® to take part in a Habitat for Humanity build day in the northwest community of Bowness. Despite the cold weather conditions, these superhero volunteers warmed the hearts of the community.

Katherine Moore found the perfect fixer-upper in cozy, mid-century, Montgomery bungalow

Katherine Moore was a "maker" long before the trend became cool. She's into canning (peaches are her delicious specialty), creates soap from scratch, designs clothing (she's a designer by trade) and re-finishes furniture. But perhaps her greatest love is making her garden beautiful.

So, when she and her husband David Foster, who loves to tinker and build things, were searching for a home, they had a small, but significant, wish list. The home had to be a little fixer-upper with huge potential and a big yard for Katherine work her garden magic.

Solar's appeal is growing for Calgary homeowners due to falling costs, and rebates

With the cost of solar power generation dropping, and a provincial rebate program launching, it's a pretty good time to be living in the sunniest city in Canada.

More homeowners are investing in solar as it becomes more economically viable.

In the past, many who embraced it traded the wallet shock for the feel-good vibes of reducing their ecological footprints.

That's the original reason Michael Betzner added solar to his Bowness home about eight years ago.