By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, CIR Realty, Rural Properties & Acreages near Calgary

Week 2 of 10

When the Bow runs high with spring break-up, the Ghost lies glassy on a July evening, or the Red Deer braids bronze under fall colours, buyers feel it the moment they turn off the highway. Approach matters out here—shelterbelts, a well-kept lane, windbreaks, and a glimpse of water all set the tone before they ever see the house.

A pond, creek, or river are gold to buyers. In Alberta farms with these features...

By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, CIR Realty, Rural Properties & Acreages near Calgary

Week 1 of 10

The gate swings, the fence line runs straight, and the gravel lane curls past a barn roof still dark from last night’s rain. Out here, buyers decide with their boots on the ground: approach, shelterbelts, and how the yard “works” tell the story long before they step inside the house. And it’s not just horse or cattle folks—recreational purchasers are a growing slice. They’re paying for privacy, tree-covered...

By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, CIR Realty, Rural Properties & Acreages near Calgary

If you live in Calgary or any major city, step outside at night and look up. What do you see? A haze of orange from streetlights, the glow of traffic, neon signs, office towers that never sleep. The stars are out there, but they’re drowned in a sky that never truly gets dark.

Most people don’t even realize how much of the night sky they’re missing. Light pollution hides the Milky Way, dulls the northern lights, and steals...

Ah, autumn. The air is crisp, the leaves are turning, and the local wildlife is starting to get a bit… noisy. If you live in the foothills of Alberta, you've probably noticed it. The skies are filled with V-shaped formations, and the air with a symphony of honks that can only mean one thing: the Canada geese are packing their bags and heading south. It's a grand annual exodus, a feathered road trip that signals the change of seasons more reliably than any calendar.

You see, a goose's life in the fall...

By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, CIR Realty, Rural Properties & Acreages near Calgary

As the summer draws to a close, there are a lot of chores to be done on a rural property, from prepping your septic, ensuring your tractor is ready to move snow, harvesting your garden or crops,  and of course, making sure you have enough firewood.

In the Alberta foothills, harvesting firewood isn’t just a chore — it’s a way of life. Every fall, our chainsaws are busy, Sure, we gather firewood all summer from deadfall...

By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, Rural Properties & Acreages near Calgary

Hello, wonderful folks, and welcome to another edition of Wildlife Wednesday! As a realtor specializing in the breathtaking foothills of Alberta, I often get asked what truly makes living out here so special. Is it the wide-open spaces? The stunning mountain views? The peace and quiet? Yes, all of that, and so much more. But today, I want to introduce you to one of our most magnificent neighbours, a creature that embodies the spirit...

By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, Rural Properties & Acreages near Calgary

Have you ever wondered what title insurance is? Do you need it? What are the benefits? 

You might ask about an RPR (Real Property Report) and whether it covers everything. In this article, we will provide you with all the details you need, and perhaps even more information than you anticipated.

The simple answer to your questions is that you need at least one of these for your protection moving forward. If possible, I recommend...

By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, Rural Properties & Acreages near Calgary

Let me start by saying, wolves, bears, and cougars are apex predators.  They can make life hard on ranchers and farmers, but they are a part of our ecosystem. This post is not meant to insight a debate, more to point out that we have a diverse wilderness and are lucky to have it. Please be respectful of that.

The mist rolling off the river after a hard rain just starting to lift off the valley floor, when a sound cuts through...

What Every Rural Buyer Should Know — By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, Rural Properties & Acreages near Calgary

If you live on an acreage in Alberta, chances are you've either got a chainsaw or three, or maybe you borrow one from your neighbour who really wishes you would go buy one. Whether you're clearing a trail, cutting up storm-downed trees, or bucking firewood for the winter, having a solid saw makes life easier—and safer.

Let’s dig into two of the big dogs in the chainsaw world: STIHL vs. Husqvarna....

By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, Rural Properties & Acreages in the foothills of Alberta

The Evening Grosbeak of Alberta’s Foothills

In the hush of an early spring morning, when the mist clings to the evergreens and even the chickadees are still rubbing sleep from their feathers, there’s a sudden bolt of yellow—so bright it seems to carry the sun in its wings. That’s your first hint that an Evening Grosbeak is near.

These birds don’t sing like robins or flit like finches. No, the Evening Grosbeak is the...

By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, Rural Properties & Acreages in the foothills of Alberta

Our Clever Neighbor: Red Foxes

One cool autumn morning, while walking the fence line of my property, I noticed a small, freshly dug hole near the top of the hill. At first, I thought it might be a skunk or even a badger’s doing. But then, from behind a patch of wild roses, a fluffy, copper-colored tail poked out. The culprit emerged, ears twitching and nose to the ground — a red fox, clearly unimpressed by my presence....

By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, Rural Properties & Acreages near Calgary

There’s something magical about the first crackle of a wood stove on a frosty morning. Out here in the Alberta foothills, where the stars shine brighter and winter hangs on a bit longer, heating with wood isn’t just about comfort—it’s a way of life.

At our home, we heat with wood most of the time. We're lucky enough to have access to standing dead trees, which we responsibly harvest and season. Not only does this save us a lot in...

By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, Rural Properties & Acreages in the foothills of Alberta

The Skunk: Alberta Foothills’ Striped Survivalist

So you're walking through the forest near your favourite pond, enjoying the crisp evening air, when suddenly you spot it — a flash of black and white weaving through the tall grass. You freeze, heart pounding, where is your dog? You quickly grab his collar as a skunk wanders up the hill beside you, blissfully unaware of the minor heart attack it just caused. You hold...

By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, Rural Properties & Acreages near Calgary

You’re driving down a dusty Alberta backroad, your truck bouncing along as golden fields stretch out on either side. Maybe there’s a distant mountain range on the horizon or a cluster of aspen trees swaying gently in the breeze. You spot a “For Sale” sign and think, “Could this be it? My own slice of country paradise?”

But here’s the thing: No two rural properties are the same. They’re as unique as the people who built them – from...

By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, Rural Properties & Acreages near Calgary

I remember when I first bought my property and struggled with spotty cell service and no internet. Thankfully, technology has come a long way since then!

Not too long ago, while showing a property, my clients were ready to walk away because they couldn’t get a cell signal. But once I mentioned that internet access can easily solve that problem, I realized that many people don't know about the great solutions for improving phone service...

By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, Rural Properties & Acreages near Calgary

"Woody Woodpecker’s Real-Life Cousin: The Pileated Woodpeckers of the Alberta Foothills"

Living rural can mean starting your day with the rhythmic thwack-thwack-thwack of a feathered carpenter hard at work, carving out his masterpiece on an old aspen tree. Out here in the Alberta foothills, that sound isn’t coming from a construction site — it’s the signature call of the Pileated Woodpecker, nature’s own lumberjack.

As a rural realtor,...

By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, Rural Properties & Acreages near Calgary

Buying raw land in rural Alberta presents an exciting opportunity to create your dream property from the ground up. Whether you envision building a cozy family homestead, a hobby farm, or a getaway cabin, one of the first questions to consider is: Where will your water come from?

When I purchased my property, I didn’t have a well, but the area was surrounded by water, so I thought drilling a well would be straightforward. However,...

By Rory Hale – REALTOR®, Rural Properties & Acreages near Calgary

"The Love Song of the Wood Frog: Rural Life's Serenade"

Spring has arrived in Alberta’s foothills, and with it comes one of nature’s most underappreciated rom-coms: wood frog mating season. If you live rural like I do, you might already be hearing it — that charming quack-quack-quack chorus from ditches, ponds, and puddles that were snowbanks just a week ago.

These tiny amphibians, about the size of a toonie, are the first to wake...

I want to start this post with my perspective and experience living with predators in the Alberta foothills. Every year we have been here, we have seen the big three: grizzlies, cougars, and wolves. It can be amazing, scary, and eye-opening to realize how much wildlife there is in Alberta.

We have been very aware of wildlife and ensuring we are not doing things to encourage interaction and draw any wildlife near our home. We know people have had issues; we are happy that we have not.

An essential part...

Living the Rural Life - Internet Service If you’re considering making the move to the beautiful Alberta foothills, one of the first questions on your mind might be, “Who do we use for Internet service?” This is a great question, especially if you're selling your home in Calgary or another urban area. The truth is, internet options can vary quite a bit depending on where you are in the rural landscape, so it's definitely worth taking some time to figure out what works best for you.

As a former IT ...

The rural life on an acreage in Alberta foothills gives us all sorts of stories to watch unfold. Buying a property near Water Valley has made me realize how much life there is in our forests, a short distance from Calgary to the west but giving a very different experience living on an Alberta farm

A Story of the Snowshoe Hare

The foothills blanketed in deep winter snow, their rolling slopes softened by drifts and shadowed by towering spruce and aspen. Among the quiet trees, a lone snowshoe hare sat...

Everyone loves seeing deer, except perhaps when they are eating your feed or birdseed. White-tailed deer are commonly found throughout Alberta and are best recognized by their distinctive white flags as they run across fields. We are fortunate in Alberta to have an abundance of wildlife. Living in rural areas, it’s easy to forget just how lucky we are to be surrounded by nature. Take a moment to appreciate what we have.

White-tailed deer should not be confused with their cousins, the mule deer, which...

Springtime is right around the corner, bringing out some of our best local neighbours. The Black Bear spend the majority of winter in a den, dug out of a hillside or under a rocky overhang.

While hibernating, Black bears slow their metabolism to around 25% of normal, slowing their heartbeat considerably.

Over the next month or so, in Alberta, we will start to see them emerging from their dens. The food search will be on. All rural residents need to be good neighbours to these bears and not leave attractants...

 You should always consult a mortgage professional to get access to accurate and current information

You have always wanted to own an acreage, live outside of the city and have a quiet place of your own. It is a great life for sure.

When you decide to go down that country road, before you fall in love with that little farm, It is a good idea to talk with your Realtor, broker or banker, ensuring you know the differences in purchasing and what your financing options are.

If moving to an acreage or...

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Rural Alberta has a lot going on. Whether you live on an acreage full time or have a cabin in one of the small communities like Bergan, Burnstick Lake or James River, there is always something new to enjoy.

Often, you’ll see a seasonal visitor pass through, this week I had a flock of Snow Buntings.
These little black and white birds only come around these parts in the winter and move like a wave through the air.

They visit our farm annually in the winter. In...

The Pine Marten thrives in the majestic mature coniferous and mixed forests of Alaska, Canada, and the Pacific Northwest and extends into the beautiful landscapes of Northern New England, the Rocky Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada. With a high metabolism driving its relentless spirit, this remarkable creature is always on the hunt. Its diet, rich in small mammals like squirrels and rodents, showcases its adaptability as an opportunistic feeder, also embracing birds, fruits, nuts, insects, and carrion....

With the recent weather, more than a few people have posted about frozen septic systems.

If you are unsure about your system or if it’s your first winter on the property, it’s always a good idea to have a licensed professional check your systems and make sure you are winter-ready. I was lucky enough to have a great contractor explaining a few simple things to do to prepare your septic for winter.

A few things to consider,

Always keep your system full; the volume of water helps prevent freezing....