Get into the bear market

TWO-BEDROOM APARTMENT IN ALBERTA, CANADA, pounds 296,454

THE AGENT SAYS: Three Sisters Mountain Village is a resort community next to the town of Canmore in Alberta, western Canada. This two-bed, two-bath apartment is in Timberline Lodges, which is made up of 70 apartments in three buildings.

UPS: This is an all-year resort, 45 minutes from airport, with fantastic scenery and great facilities.

DOWNS: You have to love long winters. And watch out for the bears.

SEE www.robsonbarnes.com or call 01483 242491.

'THE BOYS SAY: PUT simply, you'll NEVER find bigger (non- Canadian) fans of Canada than us. It's a land of fabulous opportunity, jaw-dropping scenery and extreme climate - summers are wildly hot in Ontario and winters are staggeringly cold in areas such as British Columbia. But attitude to life - across the country - is exceptionally positive. For British visitors, costs are surprisingly affordable.

And how do we know so much?

Well, as you read this, we're filming a North American TV series called Home Heist and, being that we can't resist an opportunity, we have bought a condominium in downtown Toronto.

And property costs? Well therein lies the catch... Toronto has a very buoyant market. If you're looking for a holiday home, you can still pick up a suburban four-bed "flipper" (a house in need of renovation) for around EUR250k (pounds 115k), but go west - to cities like Vancouver - and costs spiral. Head to the mountains, into Alberta, and you'll need to raid your piggy bank - large family homes easily stretch into several million dollars.

However, for just short of pounds 300k, you can still find something exciting - in this case a mountain resort apartment. Already boasting a world-class golf course, this is hugely popular with those who like outdoor pursuits. It 's on the Timberline Lodge project, a three-acre estate with a swimming pool, hot tub, steam room and fitness centre. High-spec fit-out includes timber flooring in the kitchen, living room (which has a huge stone fireplace) and dining room. The kitchen has custom cabinets and stainless steel appliances.

There's a large deck and a heated underground car park. As far as rentals go, this four-season home should be fairly easy to manage. Just 45 minutes from Calgary airport, this area has a bearable average temperature of only - 8C in January. And in summer it remains in the 20s.

Just look out for the grizzly bears! These furry fellows have a big appetite for garbage cans and are known to pay a visit to the town centre. As the old property maxim warns (but for entirely different reasons on this occasion) - buyers beware!'

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