HGTV Canada star Todd Talbot explores the financial side of real estate at the Calgary Home + Garden Show

Known for his quirky sense of humour and dapper style, real estate guru and co-host of HGTV Canada's Love It or List It Vancouver Todd Talbot will be hitting the Main Stage at the Calgary Home + Garden Show this weekend to dish out a dollop of valuable real estate know how.

"I really love these shows," said Talbot. "Life on TV is great, but it is so wonderful to see and talk to people live and have individual conversations."

This time around, he'll be chatting about money and making smart financial choices when it comes to buying, selling and renovating.

"Money tends to be a bit of an unsexy topic, but it's a conversation that people really want to dig in to," he said.

Talbot will be sharing the ins and outs of mortgages, while peeling back the process of hiring contractors and outlining the kinds of things required for renovations.

"I feel like in Calgary things have shifted a little bit, and people are looking at renovating more than buying or selling," he said. "Even though on TV I am the guy pitching the move, I do believe that most homes have a lot of upside to them."

"Money tends to be a bit of an unsexy topic, but it's a conversation that people really want to dig in to." - Todd Talbot

When it comes to strategy, he's a firm believer that a house is a home first and an investment second.

"Real estate is more of a buy-and-hold investment – it's a slow growth commodity," he said.

Talbot's passionate about imparting the wisdom he's learned over his 15-year career and believes the first thing buyers need to do before investing in real estate is to know themselves.

"You need to know who you are first and the way that you and your family live in a home," he said. "We see these beautiful spaces on Houzz.com and on television that are styled, and we create these ideas of what we think we should have, but it often doesn't make us happy."

He notes that buying a home in the right location is key – one that supports the lifestyle you and your family like to live. The next consideration is whether it's a fit for your family.

"It's like buying a pair of jeans," he said. "Somehow with houses, we get confused with the criteria that really matters."

Todd Talbot will be presenting on the Calgary Home + Garden Show main stage Saturday, March 2 at 3 p.m.and Sunday, March 3 at noon.For more information, or to buy tickets online and save $2, visit www.calgaryhgs.com.