Carrie and Kevin Wilde moved to Calgary's southeast lake community of Mahogany six years ago with their four children – Tasia, Camebridge, Nicholas and Peirson – and the family pooch, Charlotte. The community's architecture, lake, wetlands and extensive pathway system that connects it all attracted the family. But now that they are settled in (the kids have grown up in the area and now range in age from 15 to 21), Carrie Wilde says Mahogany is about more than the amenities.

You've always headed west for summer vacation because it doesn't get better than lazy days spent on the water. But what if you could get all the perks of a lake vacation, including that laid-back cottage lifestyle, without leaving your neighbourhood?

The Calgary region's two newest lake communities – Harmony in Springbank and southeast Calgary's Mahogany – are both four-season, amenity-rich neighbourhoods built around water.

Calgary developers are getting creative in tough condo market

Like much in life, the only constant in the housing market is change. Buyer tastes are ever evolving, and developers of new-build condo projects in Calgary must keep pace.

"Homebuyers today know what they want and need in a new home," said Nicole McLaws, marketing manager at Hopewell Residential. "They want excellent quality, timeless style, affordable pricing and a location that works for their lifestyle."

To meet those needs, developers offer a range of floor plan layouts and sizes, with stylish finishings and long-lasting materials. At the same time, they are keeping one eye squarely on the big picture.

Snapshots of Calgary's lake communities

Life at the water's edge may not be the defining Calgary experience. But for thousands of Calgary homeowners, life by the lakeside was a key reason they chose to buy in one of the city's many man-made lake communities. Here's a look at each of the Calgary neighbourhoods with a blue jewel of H2O at its heart, making them among the most desirable communities in
the city.

Builders busy in surrounding region

Homebuilders and developers continue to be active in the surrounding area, with a number of new, highly anticipated communities under various stages of development.

CREB®Now takes a closer look at several noteworthy projects currently underway:

Harmony in Springbank

Harmony, located west of the City adjacent to the TransCanada Highway, is a joint-venture management partnership between Bordeaux Developments and Qualico Communities. The master-planned community will not only have 3,500 homes when all is said and done, but will also have its own village retail core and a large lake and wetland area.

Lake communities making a splash with homeowners

When Alex Capicio and his wife Arlen started house hunting for their family of five, it was all about location.

Arlen worked at the South Health Campus, but the family also wanted to be close to neighbourhood niceties such as a lake.

The couple settled on Mahogany in the city's southeast in January 2014 and haven't looked back since.