Category: Community

What is the Safest Community in Calgary for Condo Owners?

What is the Safest Community in Calgary for Condo Owners?

If you’re considering buying a condo in Calgary, safety is likely one of your top concerns. A community that prioritizes security and a safe living environment is essential for condo owners. Today, we will explore the safest communities in Calgary for condo owners. This will provide valuable insights to help you make an informed decision.  […]

Tips for Buying a Condo Building in Calgary: What to Know

Tips for Buying a Condo Building in Calgary: What to Know

Are you considering purchasing a condo building in Calgary? It’s essential to be well-informed about the process and factors to consider. Catalyst Condominium Management has been a staple in Alberta’s condo industry for quite some time now. In this blog post, we will provide you with valuable insights and tips to help you make a […]

Discover the Vibrant Beltline Farmers & Makers Market in Calgary

Discover the Vibrant Beltline Farmers & Makers Market in Calgary

As Calgary’s leading management company Catalyst Condos, we are always thrilled to bring exciting news and events to our residents.  Today, we are delighted to share an amazing partnership between the Calgary Earth Market Society and the City of Calgary, resulting in the opening of the Beltline Farmers & Makers Market.  This weekly market promises […]

10 Essential Tips for Condo Living in Calgary

10 Essential Tips for Condo Living in Calgary

Calgary is a city that has many types of condos within it. There are various iconic neighbourhoods throughout it too. Here, you can find a living situation that suits your lifestyle, whatever it may be. At Catalyst Condo Management, we feel that we know this city very well. As a condo management company in Calgary, […]

What to Look for in a Condo Management Company

What to Look for in a Condo Management Company

Finding the right condo management company for you is an essential step to take for your condominium property. Join us today to learn more about what to look for when selecting an excellent condominium management company.  Selecting a condo management company can seem like a daunting task. With all the options out there, and the […]

Looking Ahead to 2023 by Looking Back at 2022

Looking Ahead to 2023 by Looking Back at 2022

They say that those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it – and while “they” probably didn’t have condo communities in mind when coining that phrase, we have no qualms about running with it to introduce today’s blog topic! We’ve kicked off 2023 in earnest at this point, which has us looking ahead […]

Alberta Condominium Property Act 101

Alberta Condominium Property Act 101

If you’re keen enough on condos to be sitting here reading this blog, you’ve at least heard of the Alberta Condominium Property Act – but do you know what sorts of details and information are actually in the act? Like, know what’s in there? Without looking it up?   If you’re on the up-and-up when […]

Putting the Freeze on Your Condo Heating Bill

Putting the Freeze on Your Condo Heating Bill

Is your condo’s heating bill running a little, well, hot?    If you’ve been feeling the burn lately when covering your condo heating bill, you’re not alone. It’s no secret that energy bills have been skyrocketing across the country for a while now – so what better time, we thought, to take a moment to […]

The Factors That Go into Determining Your Condo Fees

The Factors That Go into Determining Your Condo Fees

We all like knowing that things are being handled fairly. It goes all the way back to fighting with our siblings over whose turn it was to use that one red plastic cup at lunchtime, counting the days of the week to make sure your diabolical little brother wasn’t trying to pull a fast one […]

New Year, New You – New Condo Utilities Contract!

New Year, New You – New Condo Utilities Contract!

The new year is a time to look back and take stock of things. To reflect, reminisce, and even reconsider. To set yourself up for success and prosperity over the next twelve months, whatever they might bring. We’re all about raising standards here at Catalyst, so we can definitely get behind this sort of inward-focused […]

Beating Condo Board Burnout

Beating Condo Board Burnout

Even the best and brightest condo board members can feel the exhaustion from time to time. No matter your position, the demands placed on condo boards can be taxing. The result is burnt-out board members with individuals phoning it in and governing bodies that become stagnant, tired, and ineffective.    Because board burnout can sometimes […]

What to Look Out for in a Condo Realtor

What to Look Out for in a Condo Realtor

Everyone always talks about what to look for in your future condo unit – but what about your condo realtor?  If you ask us, our dreamy condo realtor would be tall, dark, and handsome, with a knowledgeable air about him and an in-depth understanding of the Alberta real estate market… Wait a minute. We’re talking […]

The Long and Short of Short-Term Rentals

The Long and Short of Short-Term Rentals

As an Alberta condo owner, your unit is your property – so, it stands to reason that you should be able to do whatever you want with it (within reason [and taking local legal considerations into account!]), right? And you mostly can!   “Mostly” being the operative word there, of course.   Here’s the thing. […]

Location, Location…Personal Preference!

Location, Location…Personal Preference!

Location, location, location!    Sure, that might read like a bit of a condo real estate cliché at this point, but there’s a reason that mantra has guided the industry for decades now – and that’s because it’s true!   Just as with buying any type of property, location will always play a role in […]

Condo Ownership Lessons From 2020: What Can We Learn?

Condo Ownership Lessons From 2020: What Can We Learn?

When COVID-19 was first documented in Canada on January 23, 2020, no one knew what to expect. In the weeks and months that followed Canadians did their best to gather information and adapt accordingly— but the impacts of the virus were far-reaching.  The real estate market was no exception.  By March, many cities (including those […]

5 Red-Hot Edmonton Neighbourhoods for Condo Seekers

5 Red-Hot Edmonton Neighbourhoods for Condo Seekers

As of September 2020, there were 2,417 condo listings in the Edmonton area. While this is still a decrease in comparison to previous years, it does show movement in the local real estate market and that there is hope for increased traction over time. If you’ll be looking at condos in Edmonton over the coming […]

5 Red-Hot Calgary Neighbourhoods for Condo Seekers

5 Red-Hot Calgary Neighbourhoods for Condo Seekers

The Calgary real estate market showed a slight upturn from August-September 2020, with 1-bedroom and 3-bedroom condos, specifically, seeing an increase in sales. This modest growth (~3 per cent overall) is expected to continue into the end of the year. So, with the Calgary condo market benefiting from low-interest rates and substantial inventory levels, where […]

5 Red Flags to Watch For When Buying a Condo

5 Red Flags to Watch For When Buying a Condo

Purchasing a condo is an exciting life event. Before you even move in, your head begins to fill with ideas about how you’ll utilize your new space and make it your own. You might be ecstatic to enjoy your spacious balcony, or impatiently waiting for the moment you can host family and friends in your […]

Alberta Condo Market Update: Summer 2020

Alberta Condo Market Update: Summer 2020

It would be an understatement to say that 2020 has been an unusual year, and the current real estate forecast is a reflection of the unprecedented circumstances we’ve all been experiencing. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an economic domino effect, increasing unemployment rates while decreasing household incomes, residential construction activity, and property […]

BUSTED! 5 Condo Myths About Edmonton Debunked

BUSTED! 5 Condo Myths About Edmonton Debunked

Every town has its own fair share of urban myths and legends, and Edmonton is no different. Is there some sort of structure that exists under West Edmonton Mall? Is the Legislature Building actually haunted? And what’s up with that weird fenced-in green space near Gateway Blvd that inexplicably has a bunch of deer living […]

5 Things to Remember Before Renovating Your Condo

5 Things to Remember Before Renovating Your Condo

The longer homeowners live in property the more they notice projects they’d like to take on and updates they’d like to make. It may be something simple (like adding a new backsplash in the kitchen) or it might be a larger undertaking (like replacing floors or installing a new, modern bathtub). Whatever the project, revamping […]

Tips for Being Considerate During COVID-19 Isolation

Tips for Being Considerate During COVID-19 Isolation

We’ve all heard the phrase “adjusting to a new normal”. It has quickly become one of the most prominent catchphrases associated with the coronavirus pandemic— and for good reason. The way we work, socialize, and live our daily lives has drastically changed. We are all redefining our routines and doing our best to grin and […]

How Condo Owners Can Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 in Common Areas

How Condo Owners Can Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 in Common Areas

Protect Yourself (And Your Neighbours) With These Hygiene Tips Condo owners live within close proximity of their neighbours. They share elevators and other common areas like on-site fitness centres, party rooms, and swimming pools with their fellow residents. This reality has caused some concern in recent weeks as the coronavirus outbreak became more widespread and […]

COVID-19 Financial Resources for Condo Owners

COVID-19 Financial Resources for Condo Owners

The sudden and unexpected emergence of COVID-19 in Canada has left thousands of condo owners across the country wondering if their financial stability, and therefore their homes, will be lost. Social media groups, online discussion forums, and comment sections have been abuzz with questions like: Do I still have to pay condo fees during the […]

Truly Valuable Edmonton Condo Real Estate Advice

Truly Valuable Edmonton Condo Real Estate Advice

If there’s one truth to the Edmonton condo market, it’s that it really can be subject to the whims of the Alberta economy at large. However, there’s a big difference between the games that our province’s boom-or-bust economy might play with Edmonton real estate, and the value of your condo (or prospective condo) from an

How to Create a True Community in Your Condo Building

How to Create a True Community in Your Condo Building

There’s no feeling quite like the one you get from knowing that you belong somewhere. There’s nothing like that feeling of pride, that passion of ownership – and the accompanying respect for where you live – that comes from the notion of truly identifying with where you live and where you lay your head

Halloween’s a-Happening: Safety in Townhome Communities

Halloween’s a-Happening: Safety in Townhome Communities

Generally speaking, townhome-style condo communities are bustling hubs of activity full of people coming and going, residents enjoying the amenities, and folks getting together just for the heck of it. Once a year, though, something downright spooky seems to take place. At the end of every October, on the evening of the 31st, everyone simply

Kondo Kombat: Managing Conflict in Your Condo Community

Kondo Kombat: Managing Conflict in Your Condo Community

Maybe it’s the garbage that somehow makes its way out to the dumpster but simply cannot seem to find its way inside of the dumpster. Maybe it’s one too many hair-metal power ballads heard drifting up through the floorboards late at night. Or maybe it’s the fact that Mr. Tiny, the chihuahua that lives

Things to Know Before Buying a Condo in Edmonton

Things to Know Before Buying a Condo in Edmonton

You’ve made the decision to settle down and buy a condo in the City of Champions – congratulations! Buying a home is a monumental step in anyone’s life, whether it’s your first or your fifteenth time signing those papers. That said, every home purchase is different, and buying a condo in Edmonton is no different.

Real Estate in Alberta: The Condo Strikes Back!

Real Estate in Alberta: The Condo Strikes Back!

From Calgary to Red Deer to Edmonton and everywhere in between, Albertans are starting to catch on to what we’ve already known for ages: condo living is where it’s at. Generally speaking, spring is that special time of year for the real estate market when sales typically begin to pick up as people start to

Know Your Property Management: Condo vs Townhome

Know Your Property Management: Condo vs Townhome

It seems that we’re making a bit of a theme here on this blog lately around answering questions that everybody seems to have, but that nobody wants to admit they don’t know about. For example, our last blog focused on sussing out the different responsibilities and expectations between condo boards and condo management companies.

The Greatest Hits for First Time Condo Ownership!

The Greatest Hits for First Time Condo Ownership!

Whether you’re a first-time condo owner or are simply starting out by renting a unit, congratulations! The world of condo living is wondrous and wide (and sometimes even a little bit weird!) – there’s nothing quite like it, and for us, there’s no other way we’d rather do it. That said, if you’ve only ever

Taking Possession of Your New Condo…Building!

Taking Possession of Your New Condo…Building!

If you’ve ever taken possession of a new home, you know that there’s lots to consider – from building inspections to mortgage approvals, the list is a mile long – and that’s just for handing off one solitary dwelling. Now, imagine all the work that goes into turning over not just a single unit,

Keep the Ghouls Out of Your Condo this Halloween

Keep the Ghouls Out of Your Condo this Halloween

Can you feel that in the air? No, not smell of pumpkin spice lattes. No, not the chill of snowfall in the early days of autumn. No, not the sound of sleigh bells in the middle of October – Christmas is still two-and-a-half months away, for crying out loud! We’re talking about Halloween!

5 Common Condo Investment Myths, Busted!

5 Common Condo Investment Myths, Busted!

If you’ve ever kicked around the idea of investing in a condo, you’ll most likely have noticed a curious thing: everybody around you is secretly a master-level real estate expert. Don’t believe us? Next time you’re hanging out with a group of friends, just casually mention that you’re considering investing in a second property, and

Trends within the Calgary Condo Market

Trends within the Calgary Condo Market

It’s pretty clear that the Calgary Real Estate market is going through a change and discovering what it’s “new normal” will be as we come out of the downturn. After years of rapid construction, particularly with condominium buildings,

A Condo is More Than Buying Four Walls

A Condo is More Than Buying Four Walls

You’re moving into a condo – an experience unlike any other. While some may be of the belief that a condo is a condo is a condo, this is simply not the case. After all, buying a condo is different than renting an apartmentor living in a house with a yard of your own.