Enticing discount mortgage rates have helped put Calgary's detached home market in rare form.

For homeowners, insurance is an inescapable expense that can quickly add up when stacked on top of other financial obligations like a mortgage, property taxes and utilities. That's why it's important to make sure you're getting the best deal possible – even a few small discounts applied to your premiums can turn into huge savings over time.

For many, home is the place where they feel the safest and most at ease. However, there are many hazards within the average house or apartment that can have dangerous, and even deadly, consequences if left unchecked. Luckily, most of these threats are easy to identify and even easier to avoid with just a little bit of knowhow.

Here are 12 common household hazards and how to eliminate them:

HGTV star Todd Talbot shares advice from 20 years in real estate at the Calgary Home and Garden Show

At the age of 22, Vancouver actor Todd Talbot bought his first home, paying his mortgage with the help of a rent-paying friend.

It was a unique occurrence among his theatre colleagues.

"(As an actor) you don't make a ton of money and you are pretty transient," said Talbot, who, as a teenager, appeared on the Hillside TV series with fellow Vancouverite and current Hollywood heavyweight Ryan Reynolds.

However, it was this initial foray into real estate – $190,000 for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo two blocks from Kitsilano Beach – that sparked Talbot's second career as an entrepreneur, leveraging one piece of property for another, and then another, and eventually leading to ownership of several real estate companies.

Borrowing under three per cent has benefits*

Now may be a better time than ever to refinance your home.

With five-year fixed rates as low as 2.59 per cent and variable rates at 2.15 per cent, anyone with a current mortgage rate over three per cent could potentially benefit from a refinance, and should be having a conversation with a mortgage professional.

Making your home smarter - on a budget

Today's home technology solutions is allowing owners to perform a myriad of tasks, with budget being the only limiting factor.

Yet, you don't need to spend thousands to "smarten" up your home. With a plethora of affordable gadgets now available, any homeowner can increase their home's IQ without breaking the bank.

CREB®Now takes a look at some of the more popular devices available.