Diversity and volume of home options offer something for homebuyers of every stage

There is no such thing as a "typical" home in the $500,000 to $750,000 price range in Calgary's market today.

"It is more than a starter home, but no mansion," said Ray Riley, a REALTOR® with RE/MAX First. "It could even be a teardown in a desirable (inner-city) neighbourhood, or a luxury apartment downtown. It just depends on what the buyer is looking for, and where."

Ashley McCallum found a home with character in the Beltline

Ashley McCallum loves history and character-filled older homes. So when it came time for this 35-year-old to find her first home, she immediately gravitated towards inner-city areas with more than a century of history. Although her first preference was a single-family home with a yard – her beloved eight-year-old bichon, Molly, loves playing outside – it wasn't in her budget. After months of searching, she found a lovely one-bedroom apartment in the Beltline on the second floor of a four-storey walk-up. The light-filled space features crown mouldings, century-old hardwood flooring, big windows and all the interesting nooks and crannies that come with an older home.

Couple nearing retirement secured lifestyle close to family and amenities with new-build condo

Dragica and Ron Presiloski are nearing retirement and looking to move closer to family. The couple is still working full-time – Dragica in dentistry and Ron in commercial water treatment. They've been living in Regina for several years, where they own a condo, but their son and his wife reside in Calgary, as do most of the couple's extended family. So, it was a natural progression for the Presiloskis to begin their home search here.

Adversity in condo market to continue in 2018

If you're a condo owner in Calgary, you may be telling yourself that "what goes down must come up," but it's a fine line between thoughtful analysis and wishful thinking.

"The condo-apartment sector is still facing a lot of challenges," said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie.

"While sales improved in 2017, it wasn't enough to keep pace with new listings, so we still had price declines."

Brooke Barrett found the right home for her lifestyle, beside her "own private little library," in Marda Loop

After renting a small condo in a boutique building in Bankview for six years, Brooke Barrett was ready to take the plunge into homeownership. As a lawyer, she works long hours and wanted to find a maintenance-free home, close to a bevy of walkable amenities, including a library. Staying in the inner-city was also top of mind. She checked out townhomes and condos in Kensington and West Hillhurst, and considered the East Village, but in the end, she decided to make Marda Loop home, purchasing a new condo in the heart of the action on 33rd Avenue.

Geoff Snider and Micaela Mailath found the perfect mix of size and location in South Calgary townhome

Geoff Snider and Micaela Mailath are "downtown people" who appreciate living in an area with a cosmopolitan vibe – close to restaurants, pubs and grocery stores. But they also love nature and what Calgary has to offer when it comes to sports. In fact, Snider is a former professional lacrosse player, who currently plays on Team Canada. He is also an entrepreneur with two businesses. Both he and Micaela, who is in sales, work from home, so when their 600-square-foot Eau Claire condo started to feel a little cramped, they began looking for a larger space. They found the perfect mix of size and location in South Calgary, where they purchased a townhome by inner-city homebuilder RNDSQR.

It's the biggest investment we are ever likely to make, yet too often buying and selling a home comes with a bunch of misconceptions about making the most of that investment.

Len T. Wong, broker/owner of RE/MAX Len T. Wong and Associates, chalks these misconceptions up to a lack of information, rather than any fundamental misunderstandings about the buying and selling process. Providing that education to the client, he says, is the role of an experienced REALTOR®.

Here are the top five buying and selling misconceptions Wong has seen throughout his 25-year real estate career:

A closer look at the numbers behind Calgary's apartment-style housing market

Statistics Canada recently released an interesting piece of information regarding Calgary's residential real estate market that went relatively unnoticed.

According to the government agency, the share of households in the Calgary census metropolitan area living in condominiums was 21.8 per cent in 2016. That represented the second highest percentage in the country, behind only Vancouver at 30.6 per cent, and was much higher than the national average of 13.3 per cent.

Inventory increases and sales drop in September, but overall sales for the year remain higher than last year

Strong gains in the first half of 2017 have put Calgary year-to-date sales at seven per cent above last years' levels and 11 per cent below long-term averages, but challenges remain with easing sales and rising new listings.

Inventories rose across all property types to 6,861 units, while both apartment- and attached-style properties saw the highest inventory on record for the month of September.

Making the most of a small living space

Visitors to this year's Calgary Fall Home Show might have come across a feature area called Small Space Living.

Designed by Rosalyn Lazaruk, owner of Wicket Blue Interiors, the 1,000-square-foot display showcased ways to optimize a smaller living space.

Lazaruk says people downsizing into a smaller house or condominium don't have to give up style and livability just because they have less square footage.