November 2016

After building up equity over the years, your home might be your retirement plan.  Should you really sell it and rent, sell it and buy a smaller home?  Sell it and be a gypsy in an RV?  According to financial experts, the decision you make isn’t just about money.

It’s also about the pros and cons of being a property owner versus a renter.  It’s about lifestyle and how responsible you want to be, or how free you want to be.

Renting

For years, the advantage of owning a home has been the fact that it’s an asset that will increase in value the longer you have it.  It’s been an investment.  But if you’re retired, guess what.  You don’t have your whole life ahead of you in which that asset is going to gain more value.  And conversely, when the market

Valley Ridge is a picturesque community in north west Calgary, built on the southern edge of the Bow River Valley.  It’s located south of the Trans Canada Highway west of Bowfort Road and Winsport Canada Olympic Park. Once the home of Happy Valley Ski Resort, Valley Ridge is built around the stunning Valley Ridge Golf Course with beautiful upscale homes situated around the greens.

The community is also a shining example to the rest of Calgary how communities can provide social and recreational amenities within the neighbourhood to keep residents engaged and connected to each other.

In a recent article posted by the Calgary Real Estate Board, Valley Ridge community volunteer Dave McCarrel was recognized for his contributions to his fellow residents

The skis are tuned up and waxed ready for another season on the slopes or cross country.  Skiing is a fantastic past-time and excellent exercise and in Calgary, we’re so lucky that the mountains are just an hour away.

If you’re looking for a home in a Calgary community that brings the mountains even closer, here are a few neighbourhoods to consider.

Crestmont

This small enclave of upscale homes is just south of the Trans-Canada Highway on Calgary’s western edge.  There’s just one road leading into this secluded community and residents are only seconds from the highway west to Nakiska, Banff and Lake Louise.  It’s also just west of Winsport Canada Olympic Park, so keeners can even ski at night on the well-groomed slopes right next door.  Homes in