So why do people buy condominiums anyway? Is it the built-in neighbourhood watch factor? Location? Some of Calgary's notable residents share their reasons for buying and what they like about the condominium lifestyle.

Brad Curle is the Broadcast/Communications Coordinator for the Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. He is the play-by-play man on The FAN 960 Hitmen broadcasts and coordinates the club's public and media relations. When it came to choosing his apartment-style condominium, there were three factors he took into consideration. “One was location. Being under fifteen minutes to work was a huge bonus. Two: affordability, and three: the view. I'm on the edge of an embankment with a view of the city and the mountains. Those were the top three drivers.”

Curle's job involves a lot of travel. An apart-ment condominium has offered him the peace of mind of knowing that if he were away with the team, his home would be well looked after.

He did his homework before purchasing. “I looked very closely at the documents and the minutes from the board. I also talked to a good portion of the residents. Realtors will give you a sales pitch, but the residents will tell you what it's really like to live there.”

“There's nothing to shovel and no lawn to mow,” are some of what 66 CFR's morning man and music director Brian Lubbers likes about his townhouse condominium, “and the fact you're more likely to get to know your neighbours because they live closer to you. If I have to leave overnight, I have an arrangement with my neighbour. It's great for pet owners to have someone watch over their dog overnight. If there's a natural disaster, the condo board is there to take care of the exterior. You have peace of mind. You feel safe.”

Lubbers looked at several items when he bought his new condo: square footage, view, accessibility to amenities, the builder, area, price, if you could have pets; but the deal breaker was having a barbecue. “I wouldn't have bought a place that wouldn't let us have a barbecue.”

Mitch Redshaw is the Director of Lacrosse Operations for the Calgary Roughnecks and lives in an apartment condo. He says condo-miniums offer an easier lifestyle, especially for one that is fast-paced like his. “You don't have to worry about maintaining anything. It's affordable, plus it's yours. There are lots of buildings with utilities included and you don't have to worry about the daily maintenance. There's also security and underground parking. If you get in early enough with a new one, the turnaround for resale is good.”

Even professional hockey players have a checklist of what they want in a home. Regarding Calgary Flames goalie Phillippe Sauve's townhouse condo, “Location was key for me. I didn't want something too far where I'd have to come to the rink about 45 minutes before I needed to. I'm about 15 minutes away. My fiancé and I have a five-year-old Boxer. That made things a lot tougher in trying to find a place to live. We were very fortunate to find a very nice spot that was very pet-friendly.”

National Hockey League players are not always able to house-hunt prior to a move. Sauve, however, did come to training camp three weeks earlier to look. “I asked the guys where the good locations were. A big key was finding a place where everybody is close, especially with my fiancé being here. When we're on the road, (spouses) spend a lot of time alone. It's more fun for them if they're closer together. I was fortunate the team knew somebody. He took care of a lot of players in the past, finding places to live. It was just tough finding somewhere that would take the dog. Finally, after a week, I found a place and moved in right away.”

Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf also looked at convenience and proximity to work. He likes his apartment condo for what it doesn't have.

“I'm young and single, so I don't have the need for a yard or anything like that. I can just turn the key and go in and everything is there."

“It's a great location. It's right down by the river. There's a nice park there, close to (shopping), nice restaurants, and a movie theatre. It's a convenience thing. Everything is right there for you.”

So while many people have different reasons for buying, the one common factor is the lifestyle. Lubbers adds, “It's great for singles. You can make an attempt to say hello to other single neighbours living there.”