Technically - yes you're right, but most people including realtors will call them 'two storeys' (look for phrases like "vaulted ceilings", and those that Cowtown already listed).
The house we had built was like it - a two storey living room, with the rest a traditional two storey. Yes, there are hundreds like it in the city.

They don't 'test' it, but they (the building inspector) does a visual inspection and passes it (if it's right......or not, aas the case may be...lol). I reckon this 'inspection' must have been done over a pint in the pub 'cos if he had bothered looking, it would have been caught!

This company manage my furnished rental - http://www.residential-leasing.com/ - I've been very satisfied with them as an owner, but obviously don't have any experience of using them as a tenant...

I would commend your change of location, as you were looking at Fraser Valley Bc in a last post. Loads of people seem to be heading East over the Rockies, not so many the otherway (if you discount homeless).
However like other posts I'd recommend buying a slightly older home in an established sub-division, the main reason being that the current boom, especially as I understand in Calgary has led to the eternal problem of contractors not having enough "skilled" labour. One major area on some of these rush built projects is poor attention and execution, often by underpaid labourers, of the vapor barriers. This is probably the most important aspect in construction in terms protecting the structure. It is also impossible for code inspectors or Home Inspectors to verify its execution (or existance) in many areas.
Problems in this area may not manifest until its too late, I've seen rot in homes under 10 years old that need complete demolition due to failures in the vapor barrier. This reliance on these barriers IMHO is a major problem in N.American construction after the 1970's.
I'd also shy away from Cathedral Ceilings, as roof voids generally are more susceptable to heat loss and moisture ingress.
If you are buying an older home get a qualified Home Inspector, member of CAPHI or NACHI.

Rich.

I know I'm kinda lost...was reserching Vancouver surrounding area, and realize 300k get me a town house 50 miles away in Vancouver, but in the city limit of Calgary for a same size single house.
I think this is the way of the life, paying much much more plus higher tax etc for good weather.
Still, Van is more reasonable than Sillicon Valley, heck I should just get a town home in BC...is sound insulation good in BC town house? Almost gone crazy, where to move is a BIG headache.

Oh yeah it's crazy times eh ? Plan A ...Go with where the work is at, or Plan B...Go with where you want your heart and soul and the rest of a wonderful life to be at, and work towards the work thing as the next challenge.

Roll the dice, play the great immigration game.
Buy into a few off-the-shelf dreams, add in a little dash of luck.
Self belief, a little bit of flexibility, realistic expectations, and lots of patience will all pay off.

Good luck, it takes great bravery to make such a step into a different future.

Rich.

[QUOTE=lipards]I am looking at Trico Home and Cardel Home website, research the models and communities.
http://www.tricohomes.com/communities.php
http://www.cardelhomes.com/public/Ca...w_where_we_are

There are so many locations, and I am really confused. Generally, I have been told NW is good but expensive? OK, so all I want is a nice neighborhood, quite and safe, school is not important for me. So, what are the suitable ones do you think? My goal is to get something 2000sqf and less than 300k...please help, list the community locations that you think are good ones.
And, in Calgary, shall I use realtor for buying new home? Since I will be doing this from abroad, it's better if I get some helping hand.
Oh, one more question, any other builders that are good too?
Thanks.[/QUOT


There are a lot of nice communities in Calgary to move to. Currently being built there are Royal Oak, Tuscany, Cougar Ridge which are all in the NW. Do you know that when you arrange with a builder to build a home he will want the type of flooring/colour scheme/ make and models of appliances. This is not the sort of thing to do from the UK. Even if you find a really good realtor, none of them will really make a decision for you. I am a realtor and I can find you an empty house in a nice area to move into with 3 weeks of moving here.... I know because that is exactly what we did. We rented a furnished apartment for 3 weeks and moved in. Whats is the real need for a new home, how about one 3/4 years old. Remember this is not the UK ... an old house is 10 years old!! A realtor will help you buy a new home, and make sure the builder does what you request, this is at no cost to you. The builder sets his price whether you use a realtor or not, the only break you may get with a builder is not to pay the GST. As a buyer of a property you do not pay a realtor...... there are some realtors who are charging to assist people emmigrate. Don't be conned.

You sure have a lot of choices to make, and I reckon you just have to try and eliminate some. Dont be surprised if you wake up tomorrow and Toronto feels like a good idea. I would recommend a location you feel happy with rather than the big f@#k-off house, your budget in BC for a single home would probably take you to Chilliwack or beyond, I do not like the place but whatever floats your boat.
If you are asking about sound insulation between Townhouse units, the answer is it aint great, basically firewall build, continuous 4-6" studwork with insulation and drywall. I think the code improved in the early 90's so units post 1990 will be slightly better. If you are researching there is a Sound Transmission Classification which you may be able to find out about when looking at units.
In reality the best chance of not being bothered is to move somewhere with a decent strata council who should deal with residents who would be potential noise problems.
Good luck, its a nice way to go crazy looking for location.

In my opinion chosing a location based on what sort of house you could afford for a set sum is a recipe for unhappyness.

Choose somewhere you actually want to live, that offers a chance at good employment in a field you enjoy working in, and has the recreational oportunities you want to pursue, and then figure out how you can afford to live there.

Do you really want to be rattling aroung your nice big house, going quietly nuts as its -30 outside and you would rather be looking at the ocean, or from the other point of view sitting looking at the gloomy rain for the third day in a row thinking how nice it would be to have a nice unbroken stretch of sunny weather.

For my 2cents, forget about what sort of house you can get until you figure out where you actually WANT to live.

Super advice. I've lived in Alberta for 42 years and for quite a while thought I wanted to retire to Vancouver Island.

However after spending a month there on three separate occasions in the winter time, I changed my mind. Too much rain, cloudy weather and too far away from my two sons who still live in Calgary.

I am much happier where I am and can go away in winter if needs be. But I do love the sunshine and open spaces even if it is cold.

Cheers
Steve

Here's my 2 cents. If you can rent that is a good idea. As you want to buy a 2000sq. ft house you should know that it is now taking about 7- 8 months to build. I work with home builders and the small custom builders are taking 9 months. You want to avoid using Sabel Homes. They are notorious for being off on delivery times.
Baywest , Shane and Jayman are bigger and well known builders. Builders do not give you a discount for not using a realtor. I would use one. You should be aware that NW Calgary is cooler and winder than the south. When a golf course was built a couple of years ago they contacted Environment Canada. They had options on land in the NW and SE parts of the city. They were told that the SE parcel of land would have 30 MORE frost-free days than the NW parcel. It is often 2 degrees C. cooler in the north and they get more hail and snow. By the way, lots of ex-pats move outside the city to Okotoks, 12 minutes south of city limits. If you need a realtor contact me. If you need to get an idea of what you can afford you can use a mortgage calculator from my website at http://mortgagealliance.ca/davidcooke
Try this website for more info on moving to Canada from the UK. It's a great site.
http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com
Good luck with your house search.
mortgageguy

If you decide to look in the South east check the communities of Auburn Bay and Lake Chaperral. They are both lake communities with beaches and water activities. Auburn Bay 's lake has been dug but not filled as of yet. Perhaps in 2006. The community is across the road from the new Calgary hospital site and has easy access to the Deerfoot Trail. It's 20-25 minutes to downtown. McKenzie Towne is also nice with lots of gardens and a nice High Steet. Good luck

I do need a good realtor for sure...
South? I have been told there are oil fields and other manufactory site there...well, I have no idea.
One thing, my wife is a piano tuitor, I wonder if live inside the city limit may find her more students.
South is warmer sounds good, so, inside the city limit, any good communities in sourth? I am not keen on 2000..any exsiting good ones from 1500sqf will be find for us.

I have a friend who is a good realtor, and would be happy to give you his name if you send me a private message or e-mail me.
Compton Petroleum Corporation has applied to the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board to drill exploratory sour gas wells about a kilometre beyond Calgary's far southeast city limit. The company's application is still under review. Other than that drilling application, which is controversial because sour gas is lethal if it escapes, there are oil and gas wells, pumps and pipelines all over Alberta, including many Calgary neighbourhoods. Usually you don't notice them because the facilities are underground. All you see is the occasional sign advising you that there is a gas pipeline under a given location.

The industrial area is in the close-in portion of the southeast quadrant, and I do recommend against living close to it. That is, I recommend avoiding Ogden, Lynnwood and Riverglen. There also is a commercial / industrial zone in the NE, on the way to the airport. I recommend against living there too, if for no other reason than the noise that planes make when they fly overhead.

I don't have direct experience, but I would guess she would find more students within the city limits.

I live in the SW. The slightly milder conditions in the south, on their own, are not a good enough reason to chose one quadrant of the city over another. The difference in temperature is not great. It's not as if the north has Arctic conditions while the south has tropical conditions. The difference is that several communities in the north are on hillsides that are more exposed to the wind. The wind chill factor makes cold weather feel colder than it really is. The actual temperatures in the north and south are not apprecaibly different from each other.

I live in Oakridge, which is nice because it's close to the Glenmore Reservoir. However, from a convenience point of view, I think Canyon Meadows has a lot going for it. It's at the end of the No. 3 bus route, on which the buses are considerably more frequent than they are on most other routes. Because the No. 3 goes up Elbow Drive to downtown and then a good deal of the way up Centre Street North, it gives you more choices than I have. If I want to use public transportation, I am limited to the feeder buses that take me to the train station, where I have to switch.

But there is no way you should be trying to make this decision from a distance. You need to come to Calgary and check the place out for yourself.