Brookfield Residential is renowned for creating communities that shine.

"We build communities for life – where residents can work, play and thrive," said Tannis Anstey, marketing manager for Calgary communities with Brookfield Residential. "At the core of what drives us is how we can contribute to someone's sense of belonging and quality of life."

Be prepared to invest your time along with your money. Be patient. Do your homework.

There are a lot of boxes to tick when buying a new-build home, but following the advice of industry professionals can make it easier.

Redevelopment projects lead to new communities in established areas

Most people think of new communities as being on the outskirts of the city, often in areas where amenities like shopping and schools are still lacking.

But there are a growing number of new communities springing up in well-established areas of Calgary, as redevelopment occurs on lands once used for non-residential purposes.

Cranston's Riverstone "just felt right" for Ben and Heather Cox

Ben and Heather Cox fell in love with Calgary when they moved here from the southern United States for a work contract seven years ago. "We came right out of college and we thought we would only be here for three months," said Heather.

New homes in West Calgary are expected to have strong consumer appeal

Aleem Dhanani knows the land development industry, particularly on the west side of Calgary, where Bri-mor Developments has been working for the past decade.

But he also knows the value of forming strategic partnerships. As managing director of the family-owned 25-year-old Bri-mor Developments, Dhanani wasted little time in recruiting Albi Luxury by Brookfield Residential, Cedarglen Homes, and Streetside Developments as builder partners in Bri-mor's latest residential development, which is reshaping the west-side community of West Springs.

Livingston to eventually house 30,000 people

Calgary's newest community came online this week as Brookfield Residential lifted the veil on its new Livingston development in the city's north that, when completed, will house as many as 30,000 people.

Covering more than 500 hectares straddling Centre Street north of Stoney Trail, Livingston is the first master-planned community in north Calgary within the past 20 years. It will include an estimated 10,000 homes, and will be anchored by a major activity centre that will include an estimated one million square feet of retail and institutional space,

Ward 3 Coun. Jim Stevenson, who attended the official construction launch June 28, calls Livingston "a new city north of the ring road."

Cedarglen Homes purchases Harvest Hills Golf Course

Despite being purchased by Calgary developer Cedarglen Homes, there are no immediate plans to develop Harvest Hills Golf Course in the city's northeast, officials said.

"Cedarglen purposely didn't draw a plan in advance," said Chris Ollenberger, managing principal for QuantamPlace Developments Ltd., hired by Cedarglen to act as development manager on the project.

"They went with a blank sheet of paper. They knew it would have some questions from the neighbours in the very least, so they wanted to involve them from the start, which I think was the right thing to do."