While downtown Calgary struggles with an office vacancy rate nearing 30 per cent, a unique "campus" development in the heart of the Beltline is seeing success.

For many, this is the time of year for decorating the tree, hanging stockings, baking delicious goodies and, finally, climbing a ladder to the roof to complete the most frustrating (and, perhaps, dangerous) holiday task: putting up outdoor lights.

Regardless of your thoughts on how soon is too soon for setup, hanging Christmas lights remains one of the most inconvenient tasks in a homeowner's holiday checklist. However, in recent years, permanent outdoor smart lights have been surging in popularity. These lights, controlled via smartphone apps and installed by professionals, can significantly outlast standard holiday lights and provide more versatility for use in all seasons.

Calgary's condo market may be mired in a bit of a slump, but developers are still finding ways to make their latest offerings stand out.

This is what Ocgrow Group of Companies has done with SOLA, the company's new development in inner-city Kensington that will boast 172 condo units – all equipped with smart-home automation.

Choosing a home security system can seem daunting. There are as many different options to protect your property as there are styles of home construction.

The advent of integrated smart homes mean that DIY setups are increasingly common, leading professional services to expand their features and lower their prices. Modern security systems don't just monitor for break-ins, either – many systems contain a variety of sensors that can detect everything from a carbon monoxide leak to a flood in the basement.

Real estate experts have long touted the importance of properly staging a property to look its best when selling, and now a high-tech option has joined the ranks of traditional home stagers.

Smart and green technologies recently considered luxuries are becoming increasingly important to Calgary homebuyers, and the city's homebuilders have taken this to heart.

Smart home technologies provide a quick and simple solution for a range of tasks. But is this trade-off for a snap-of-the-fingers convenience creating a strain elsewhere?

Security vulnerabilities within some devices, or at least the way in which they are set up, may be keeping the door ajar, allowing access for cyber criminals.

How to control almost everything in your home with your phone

Want to have the coolest home on the block? Then fill it with all the latest smart home devices.

"A lot of people are familiar with smart home, and they have bits and pieces of it, but are looking at expanding," said Steven Toews, general manager of Best Buy's Deerfoot Meadows location.

According to Toews, smart lighting is the top-selling smart home category.

The top home renovation apps for your next project

When searching for new property listings, we all know to turn to realtor.ca. But where do you go for support when starting a home improvement project? Before you roll up your sleeves or slip on your work boots, go high-tech with these top home improvement and renovation apps.

Wearable tech has the potential to revolutionize your physical fitness

We humans are great at finding shortcuts, simple solutions and quick fixes. We instinctively avoid doing things the hard way. This drive has spurred amazing innovations in areas from transportation to telecommunications and automation. Everything from the wheel to the silicon chip has sprung from our need to avoid work.

But there's a downside: the easier we make our lives, the less active we are and the more difficult it becomes to stay physically fit. And even though we all know there's no magic bullet that will make us fit, strong and healthy, that doesn't stop us from looking for one.