Curtis Mihm, Realtor

Some homeowners modify their property to accommodate the mobility impaired. But what happens when the time comes to sell such a home?

The Resale Value of an Accessible Home Disabled or aging people may have to modify their property to make life easier. However, what is the resale value of an accessible home.

LEDs are more affordable than ever, but is switching to the energy-efficient bulbs worth the hassle? This article sheds some light on the topic.

Should I Switch to LED Light Bulbs? Cheaper than ever before, LED light bulbs are surging in popularity in American households Is it time for you to switch to LEDs?

Building a new home? Learn how to sort through all the home exterior choices with an eye toward beauty and durability.

Home Exteriors: Consider Beauty and Durability Brick, stone, stucco, vinyl — the choices can be overwhelming when building a home from the ground up. What type of look are you trying to achieve? And does that aesthetic appeal meet your budget and hold up to the weather conditions in your neck of the woods? Here are some things to consider befo...

Perhaps the most forgotten part of the home interior is the ceiling. With these vaulted ideas, your decor will be fabulous from top to bottom.

Ceiling Updates Add Soaring Style We put so much emphasis on walls, floors, and furnishings that the ceiling’s potential for impact often gets overlooked. Here’s what you are missing.

Have you ever wondered which home improvements an interior designer would approve? Here are seven projects that would be given the green light.

7 Home Improvements Approved by Design Experts Whether you are ready to list your home or expect to stay put a few more years, check out these top home improvements from an interior designer’s view.

Thinking about buying an expensive tool? Maybe you should consider renting and pocket the savings. Here's a handy guide that can help you save at the register.

Workbench Tools: When to Rent and When to Buy Some workbench tools -- those workhorses like hammers and power drills -- are worth the investment. But you may be better off renting many others.

Have you served your country honorably? As a veteran or active military service member, you may qualify for financial help when purchasing a home. Read this article to learn how.

Veterans and Active Military: Home Buying Help As a thank you for their service, veterans and active military are eligible for special benefits when purchasing a home. Here’s what you need to know.

Your dog is part of the family, so shouldn’t he have his own door to come and go as he pleases? Here are the pros and cons of doggie doors...plus tips on DIY installation.

A Portal for Your Pooch: Installing a Dog Door A dog door can be a nice convenience for your fur baby, allowing her to come and go outside as she pleases. Your dog may bark for joy, but will you?

Cell phones languishing in your junk drawer? Computers forgotten in the basement? Here’s a guide to declutter your home by safely recycling or donating those unwanted electronics.

Electronics Recycling: Where and How to Toss With new and changing restrictions on the disposal of electronics, here are a few ideas about how to get rid of electronic waste before listing your home.

Running the air-conditioning full-blast 24/7 isn’t the only way to keep your home comfortable in summer. Follow these cool tips to keep temperatures - and energy bills - low when it’s hot.

A Cooler House without Big Energy Bills Summer can bring high utility bills from air conditioning. Keep your house comfortable and avoid smoking-hot energy bills with these heat-reduction tips.

Use caution when purchasing a home with an underground storage tank. Read this article to learn why.

What Home Buyers Need to Know About Underground Storage Tanks When considering the purchase of a home or land with an underground storage tank on site, prospective buyers should proceed with caution.

We expect a lot from our garbage disposals. Here’s how to keep yours healthy and happy.

Taking Good Care of Your Garbage Disposal Garbage disposals get no respect. They toil away for us day after day. Let’s give them a little love with these helpful tips.

How do you help make an international relocation easier on your spouse? Here are five things to consider.

5 Tips to Help Your Spouse Relocate With You As you prepare to relocate abroad, your spouse may be in crisis, giving up a comfortable lifestyle to follow and support you. Here are five things to think about to help make the transition smoother for both of you.

Air-conditioning is a summertime necessity in most of the country, but that outside unit is a landscaping eyesore. Here are some decorative ideas for camouflaging that ugly machine.

Cool Coverings: Screening an Outdoor Air-Conditioner Unit A central air-conditioner unit makes summer tolerable in our homes, but the outside condenser and compressor are eyesores in the yard that can be covered.

A very convincing cybercrime is robbing home buyers of their down payment money. Don’t become a victim! Learn how this crime works and how to avoid becoming a victim with these tips.

The Nightmare Cybercrime Targeting Home Buyers Cybercriminals are now targeting home buyers by stealing their down payments electronically. Guard yourself against this cybercrime with these tips.

Should your trash can go out with the trash? Here's the latest and greatest in waste can design.

Modern Indoor Trash Can Design Today’s trash receptacles are made of all sorts of materials in all shapes and sizes -- and prices. The basic open-topped plastic models can still be picked up for as little as $1, but today’s consumers can be coaxed into spending more than $1,000 on a single garbage can.

Pocket listings may seem like a big secret, but there’s no hiding the fact they can help you sell your home. Here’s how.

Taking the Mystery Out of a Pocket Listing You may have heard a real estate agent mention that she has a “pocket listing.” This term may sound mysterious, but it refers to a concept that might help you sell your home. Let’s unlock the not-so-secret power of this selling strategy.

Have an upper floor that is hotter than the lower? Here are some things you can do to even out the temperatures!

Dealing With Home Temperature Differences Owners of two-story homes commonly deal with their upstairs being hotter and the downstairs cooler. Read these tips to resolve the temperature differences?

Buying a house with resale value in mind? Here are the features to look for in a home to help make it easier to sell down the road.

Consider Home Buying with Resale in Mind Savvy shoppers think ahead to what a property offers future buyers with resale in mind. Be careful not to narrow your resale options when buying a home.

It is time to celebrate our freedom. Happy Independence Day to you and your family!

Got gear? Here’s how and where to store your family sports equipment.

5 Easy Storage Tips for All Your Sports Gear From bicycles to surfboards, snow and beach gear to kayaks – where do you put all your sports gear? Here are five simple storage tips.

If you’re moving to another city, state, or country for a new job, a cost-of-living adjustment helps offset increased costs of goods and services. Here's what to consider when negotiating an agreement with your employer.

Four Things to Know About Cost-of-Living Allowances Moving to another city or country for your career can be a wonderful opportunity, but relocation can also put a strain on the budget. The good news is companies often offer an increased salary or other relocation benefits to help pay for increased expenses. A goods and services “differential” or...

Heating and air conditioning emergencies are mostly avoidable. Follow these tips to keep your cool in summer and stay warm in winter.

Give Your Heating and Air Conditioning Systems a Little TLC What can you do to ensure your HVAC systems will be there when you need it most? Here are a few tried-and-true tips for homeowners.

An overwhelming number of important closing documents are created when you buy a home. Here are the documents you need to keep secure.

Keep These Closing Documents When You Buy a Home When you close on the purchase of a house, it seems the stream of documents will never end. Here’s a list of the closing documents you must-keep.

In the UK, bathrooms are called water closets, and for good reason. If your bathroom is closet-sized, try these big-design, small-space ideas.

Small Space, Big Style: Bathroom If you have a small bathroom, you know it can be a challenge to make it work. Bathroom spaces need to be functional, of course, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t also have style. With the right fixtures, smart storage, and a few design tricks, you can create a great-looking bathroom that wor...

It’s a dicey problem: buying or selling a house where construction work was done without proper permits and inspections. Here are some factors to consider as well as some possible solutions.

Buying or Selling a Home With Unpermitted Space Selling or buying a home where construction was done without required building permits can be a big problem. Here’s what to know about unpermitted space.

Take the sting out of your monthly electric bill! Here are six easy ways to save money and conserve energy.

Six Easy Ways to Lower Your Electric Bill For most homeowners, the sting of a sky-high electricity bill is more than enough to prompt their interest in energy savings. Check out these easy methods to help lower your monthly bills. Attic insulation. Most of the heat transference in a home occurs in the attic, whether it’s indoor heat escap...

Home shoppers are increasingly looking for green building features. Learn how the National Association of REALTORS® is training agents to meet that demand.

Green Building Well-Recognized Throughout Industry Green building is now the name of the game in both new construction and the retrofitting of existing homes. Here's what's happening in the industry.

Worried about home break-ins? Here’s a comprehensive list of steps to take - above and beyond installing a home security system.

How to Increase Your Home’s Security Is a security system enough to keep your home safe? Check our extensive list of safety measures from law enforcement and insurance experts.

To replace or not to replace? Here are some common-sense solutions to selling a house with dated or mismatched hardware, lighting and cabinet finishes.

6 Home Staging Tips for Dated Cabinet Hardware Many homeowners worry about spending large sums of money replacing outdated cabinet hardware. Here are some useful tips for sellers staging a home for sale.