I’m often asked by realtors and clients to evaluate the potential of a prospective real estate purchase, and I’m noticing more and more often clients are looking for the bungalow lifestyle.

While the "cute little bungalow" hasn’t always been sought after in modern-day Calgary, the popularity of the post-war single-level home is on the rise - whether buyers are seeking to renovate the older homes or build updated versions.

As the glow of the holiday lights fade, we inevitably take stock of the past year and make plans for the one to come. Fresh in our minds are the successes and failures of the holiday season. This often leads to the dreaded New Year’s resolution.

Waking up January 2 to an enhanced waistline leads to one of the most common New Year’s resolutions – to get fit. Too often people join gyms or create nooks in their homes for working out but fall off the commitment just weeks into the New Year. Why? There are countless studies on this but as someone who has struggled to incorporate fitness into my daily routine, let me tell you what I believe.

If you’re dreaming of making a big change to your home in the new year – whether that’s buying new, building new or renovating – it’s time to stop dreaming and start preparing. You’ll want to hit January with these 5 big steps already checked off your list.

I recently caught up with a couple who had just packed their youngest off to university. As they looked around their family friendly main floor space, the newly-minted empty nesters wondered aloud, ‘What now?’

They loved this space, designed 15 years ago for a young and growing family, but it no longer fit their lifestyle. Yet they didn’t know what did.

I’m competitive. I like to win. So when clients recently called me to talk about why their home wasn’t selling, my first thought was … “How can I help them beat their competition?” In this case, the competition was the flood of neighbouring homes for sale.

The biggest challenge in selling a house is getting potential buyers in the door and giving them a reason to bother. Over the past 25-years, my go to has always been to focus on curb appeal because we only get one chance to make a first impression.

After a hot and smoky summer, the weather this past week has been a wake up call. Autumn is in the air, school supplies and shiny new sneakers are ready to roll and my extended family has started talking about winter holiday plans.

Yes, when Canadian Tire has Halloween merch on display and Costco has the Christmas wrapping paper out, you know it’s time to discuss who’s having who for the big turkey dinner.