New homebuyers modify Baywest blueprint with the stroke of a pen

When CREB®Now caught up with Maria Rocha Gil and Javier Gonzalez, they were in the process of doing a final walk-through on their new home. They chose a 2,600 square foot, two-storey home by Baywest Homes in Silverado's Dressage, a southwest community adjacent to Spruce Meadows.

The home is situated beside a landscaped park with flower gardens across from Silverado's new elementary school. The couple, who are in their mid-30s, are expecting their first child in July and are excited to move in and get organized before their bundle of joy arrives.

Living close to family and friends makes all the difference for Calgary couple

Mariam Usman and Usman Noman are living the Canadian dream. Usman immigrated to Calgary from Pakistan with his parents and siblings ten years ago when he was in his early twenties. Now in his early thirties, he's worked hard, saved money and married Mariam, who is also from Pakistan. The couple has three children, a boy and two girls, aged three, five and seven. Looking for more space for their young family, the couple recently purchased a new four-bedroom home. Located in Genstar's Savanna, the new home was built by Excel Homes.

First-time home buyer finds her new abode by following her instincts

Danielle Burtoway has always had her sights set on buying a home, rather than renting one.

"I want to be smart about it," said the 24-year-old, who currently lives with her parents. After looking for the past several months, Burtoway has taken the proverbial plunge – she's buying a unit in Copperfield Park III.

While Burtoway admits that price was a definite consideration, she didn't commence her property search with a specific list of criteria.

Buyer opts for a new-build condo in Calgary's desirable Beltline

Nav Basi knows real estate: it's what he does for a living.

This 41-year-old entrepreneur and real estate investor lives just north of the city limits, on an acreage adjacent to Cross Iron Mills. He's young and single and considering shifting lifestyle gears, from country-living to inner-city hip.

With that in mind, he made the decision to purchase a one-bedroom condominium at Park Point, a 34-storey condominium tower close to the city's core, overlooking Memorial Park. He purchased for investment purposes and plans to rent it out with eye to potentially using it as a future residence for himself.

Landed immigrants see home ownership as the key to success

For new Canadians, Andres Gutierrez and Isabel Echavarria, becoming real estate savvy in an unfamiliar country took persistence and bucket loads of determination. The couple, who work for the Canadian Red Cross, moved to Calgary from Columbia eight years ago via Montreal. Their goal was to purchase a comfortable home for their young family; they have a six-year-old daughter and a
five-year-old son. Another priority was finding a home with enough space to accommodate visiting relatives. They purchased the O Plan, an optional four-bedroom, two-storey Chalet townhome by Hopewell in the southeast community of Copperfield.

Front verandas bring the elegance of the southern lifestyle to Calgary

Hughues Lefebvre and Rachel Malone enjoy the easy grace and relaxed living that southern architecture inspires.

Rachel grew up in Alabama, sipping lemonade in a rocking chair on the veranda of her family's southern home.

"That's my thing and it's hard to find here in Calgary," said Malone.

Home buyer doesn't settle for less with her forever home

At 52, Leah Barber knows what she wants. The recently divorced mother of a university-aged son was clear on her must-haves when she began shopping for a new home.

Top priorities were a home with great curb appeal and a big deck adjoining the great room – a sunny spot where she could relax after a long day at work. Add to that a double master plan, so that when her son was home from school, he would have his own space. In addition, she had specific layout requests, including a smaller footprint – small enough to be low maintenance.

She found exactly what she was looking for in Hopewell's Xeno model — a 1,300 square foot, laned home with a double master plan and front kitchen in the southeast lake community of Mahogany.

Starting this week, CREB®Now will be sitting down and talking with local homebuyers to understand why they bought, where they bought it and what advice they might have to others.

Jill Stephenson-Long and Chris Long fell in love with the mountain lifestyle 15 years ago when they moved to Canmore to begin their lives together and further their respective careers. The active, health-conscious and design-focused couple – she is a nurse and he is a chiropractor – have three young children: nine-year-old twins, a boy and girl, and a five-year-old son.

With the goal of eventually building their mountain-themed dream home over the years, the couple, purchased investment real estate and rental properties in Canmore to finance their down payment while they lived in a leased home, raising their young family.