Dear Santa,

My oh my, it certainly has been an interesting and challenging year, with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting almost every part of our lives.

Hiring a REALTOR^® when purchasing a resale home seems like a no brainer, but many new-build homebuyers don't take advantage of this valuable resource.

When you buy a home, you're also buying the lot, so it's important to make sure you pick the right lot for your needs.

As we head into what is traditionally one of the hottest seasons for real estate – with homebuilders launching purchase incentives, promotions, new communities and new showhome models – there is a distinct air of uncertainty due to the outbreak of COVID-19 sweeping the globe.

A deposit is the first financial hurdle a homebuyer needs to clear when buying a pre-construction home.

That deposit is generally five per cent of a home's total value for a purchase of less than $500,000, but it can be as high as 20 per cent for a $1-million-plus home. Those funds are a pre-construction commitment to the builder to take that condo or single-family home off the market. That money also gets put toward your eventual down payment.

In a market flush with oversupply and lingering economic difficulties, condo builders need to stand out from the crowd to reach potential buyers.

While some offer trips to Las Vegas or New York to seal the deal, two of Calgary's longtime builders say the key to success in today's market is good developments with incentives that help a buyer's financial bottom line.

For the past couple years, the Calgary condo market has been plagued by elevated inventory, but there has been some improvement in that area over the past year.

Let's look at some key stats that have defined the condo market so far this year in Calgary.

Unless your haggling skills are rusty, you would never try to talk sellers up on their price. Yet, when it comes to condo fees on new-build units, going low could come at a high cost down the road.

Just what is a "single-family" home these days? The distinction is getting blurrier, as many families opt for multi-generational homes.