Price: $124,900 FIZBER.com ID 13970445 Condo/Townhome/Co-op with 3 bed, 1.0 bath, in 107 Sandpiper Mankato, MN, 56001 http://www.fizber.com/13970445/ 107 Sandpiper - For Sale By Owner Property Details: Type: Condo/Townhome/Co-op Address: 107 Sandpiper, Mankato, MN, 56001 Sq footage: 1459.0 Floors: n/a Bathrooms: 1.0 Bedrooms: 3 Year built: 1981 View full property details and seller's contacts. View more Minnesota homes for sale. Homes for Sale by Owner. Description: Newly remodeled 3 bedroom located in Hilltop Mankato. Great features of the home include 2.5 stall garage, large yard and driveway and a nice patio in the back. Updates on the home include brand new flooring and paint. Excellent location near Minnesota State University, Mankato, parks, bike paths and softball field. Must se... 01/22/2010

Price: $154,900 FIZBER.com ID 13927895 Single Family with 3 bed, 2.0 bath, in 148 Flagstone Lane Mankato, MN, 56001 http://www.fizber.com/13927895/ 148 Flagstone Lane - For Sale By Owner Property Details: Type: Single Family Address: 148 Flagstone Lane, Mankato, MN, 56001 Sq footage: 1550.0 Floors: n/a Bathrooms: 2.0 Bedrooms: 3 Year built: 2009 View full property details and seller's contacts. View more Minnesota homes for sale. Homes for Sale by Owner. Description: New construction split level home in Noah Estates subdivision. Both levels are completely finished and features an eat-in kitchen & dining area, vaultedceilings, transom window above the front door for added sunlight, ceramic tile and wood floors. Lower level is complete with 2 bedrooms, a full bath andfamily room with day... 01/21/2010

If you've been in Minnesota the last couple of weeks, you know what cold really feels like. And if you've been following my blog you will remember the prior article about ice dams (if not check it out below). With the extremely cold temperatures we have been blessed with recently, comes more of those pesky ice dams, and I'm not the only one that has take notice to them. Just this past weekend the Mankato Free Press wrote an article "Ice Dams A Growing Concern" to which I had the pleasure of contributing to. Check it out here or visit their site at www.mankatofreepress.com Are You In Need of Home Inspection Services? Visit Our Website Or Contact Us By Phone At 507-382-7007   01/05/2010

Charming rambler home located in Hilltop Mankato. This 3 bedroom, 2 bath home features a nice patio and yard. Some updates on the home include siding, new sofets and gutters, brand new carpet in living room, dining room and 2 bedrooms. Also, there's a new toilet in the first bathroom and kitchen sink traps. This well maintained home is located in a great neighborhood and is definitely a must see!! To directly access this property, use this shortcut: http://www.fizber.com/minnesota-buy-single-family-home-11648324.html 12/26/2009

Ice dams may not be something the average homeowner has ever heard of, but they occur all too frequently during the winter months, resulting in costly damage. Left unaddressed, water seepage from ice dams can ruin ceilings, walls, attics and roofing. Ice dams usually form when heat from inside a home causes snow on the roof to melt and trickle to the roof's edge, where it refreezes on cold eaves, blocking gutters and drains. Since water cannot flow over the built-up ice, it backs up behind the ice, creating pools, and seeps into the home under the shingles.           "A typical U.S. winter will generate more than $500 million in property damage from ice dams," according to MetLife Auto & Home. "By taking a few proactive measures in the fall, homeowners can often prevent ice dams and sav... 12/03/2009

Getting ready for winter often means changing to warmer clothes and taking stock of mittens and hats. But it's also a good idea to prepare your home's heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system for winter, too - especially if you want to keep energy bills down. Heating can account for almost half of the average family's winter energy bill, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Taking a few steps now will help your furnace and other heating components operate more efficiently throughout the winter, helping you save money. So this winter we would like to offer the following tips for winter home readiness: Program your thermostat. If you don't have a programmable thermostat, this is the year to get one. Resetting the temperature from a constant 72 degrees to 65 deg... 11/25/2009

At Progressive Home Services we are always looking for ways to improve our service and deliver the best possible inspection experience to each and every client. In order to do that it takes continuous education, improvement and keeping up with industry cutting edge technologies. This month we have launched the addition of Infrared Thermal Imaging to our inspection services and are giving our clients another great tool to offer true peace of mind. After weeks of training in infrared thermal imaging applications including thermodynamics and the use of an infrared camera we can now definitively show clients in a viewable image areas of moisture, air infiltration and exfiltration, and many other mechanical and electrical defects while offering a wide range of additional services including, ... 11/12/2009

Charming rambler home located in Hilltop Mankato. This 3 bedroom, 2 bath home features a nice patio and yard. Some updates on the home include siding, new sofets and gutters, brand new carpet in living room, dining room and 2 bedrooms. Also, there's a new toilet in the first bathroom and kitchen sink traps. This well maintained home is located in a great neighborhood and is definitely a must see!! To directly access this property, use this shortcut: http://www.fizber.com/minnesota-buy-single-family-home-11648324.html 11/01/2009

From our family at Progressive Home Services to yours, have a safe and Happy Halloween! Why don't skeletons ever go out on the town? Because they don't have any body to go out with! Why did the vampire go to the orthodontist? To improve his bite!    10/31/2009

This single family home is going into its fourth year of a strong tenancy with a government agency. Tenant pays direct deposit into an account of your choice the first of every month! Minimal maintenance required! Home can be reverted back into a duplex! $1800 per month rent has the potential to be increased after the new year. This rental has no current strikes against it with the city and the tenants are virtually hassle free. Please call today for more details on this strong investment property! To directly access this property, use this shortcut: http://www.fizber.com/minnesota-buy-single-family-home-11648654.html 10/28/2009

Very nice home in beautiful Mankato.  This home features a scenic front porch and a newly remodeled kitchen.  The roof of this home was redone in 2003.  This home has gorgeous hardwood floors throughout and has three same floor bedrooms.  It is a must see!! To directly access this property, use this shortcut: http://www.fizber.com/minnesota-buy-single-family-home-11646270.html 08/31/2009

A leaky, un-insulated garage door may not be an obvious culprit in rising monthly utility bills, but it's worth a second look if you have an attached garage. Replacing an older garage door with a new, energy-efficient model can reduce energy loss through the garage door by up to 71 percent, according to a comparison study conducted by Clopay engineers. Since attached garages typically share one or two common walls with the house, any hot or cold that travels through a door will ultimately affect the adjacent living areas. An insulated garage door can help stabilize temperatures in the garage to reduce heat losses or gains from common house walls.Depending on the specifics of your home and attached garage construction, a well-insulated door can help keep your unheated garage 10 to 20 deg... 08/26/2009

Most people don't know how easy it is to make their homes run on less energy, and at Progressive Home Services we want to change that. Drastic reductions in heating, cooling and electricity costs can be accomplished through very simple changes, most of which homeowners can do themselves. Why make your home more energy efficient? Here are a few good reasons: Federal, state, utility and local jurisdictions' financial incentives, such as tax breaks, are very advantageous in most parts of the U.S. It saves money. It costs less to power a home that has been converted to be more energy-efficient. It increases indoor comfort levels. It reduces our impact on climate change. Many scientists now believe that excessive energy consumption contributes significantly to global warming. It reduces poll... 08/17/2009

With the busy season in full swing, my phone has been off the hook and my email box flooded...but for good reason! No matter how flooded my email inbox is I always take the time to read past client feedback because I feel it is extremely important to see how previous clients felt about the inspection process and to constantly find ways to improve. Below is just a few of the testimonails from the month of July. "Randy, it was very nice to meet you on Saturday. Thank you so much for walking through everything during the home inspection and for allowing us to be there while you did it. It is a huge help to know what kind of things to watch for and to see them instead of just reading them on a report. It was also nice to have you ask us if we had any questions! You made this experience very... 07/21/2009

How does radon enter your home? Radon, because it is a gas, is able to move though spaces in the soil or fill material around a home's foundation. Minnesota homes tend to operate under a negative pressure - this is especially true in the lowest portions of the home and during the heating season. This negative pressure acts as a vacuum (suction) that pulls soil gases, including radon, into the lower level of the structure. Some causes of home vacuum are: Heated air rising inside the home (stack effect). Wind blowing past a home (downwind draft effect). Air used by fireplaces, wood stoves, and furnaces (vacuum effect). Air vented to the outside by clothes dryers and exhaust fans in bathrooms, kitchens, or attics (vacuum effect). Radon can enter a home through the floor and walls -- anywhe... 06/11/2009

What is radon gas? Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, naturally occuring radioactive gas, that is formed from the breakdown of the minerals uranium and radium.  Why is it Important? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that each year 21,000 people die of lung cancer as a result of being exposed to elevated levels of radon. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer for smokers and the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers. Although radon is present throughout the environment, radon levels indoors are generally higher which increase the risk of cancer. Why Is Radon A Common Problem In Minnesota Homes? Much of the soil in the Upper Midwest contains widespread uranium and radium. These minerals continuously break down to release radon gas. Therefore, Minn... 06/10/2009

While it is common during a home inspection to encounter many different things from structural issues, roof leaks, and improper wiring just to name a few it is not nearly as common to come across pests and insects, especially large ones. While I don't mind crawling through attics and crawlspaces I have to admit I am not entirely a fan of various pests. So, when I encountered an extremely large spider, one of which I have never seen in Minnesota I had to take a picture.  Above is a picture of the spider caught on my camera while inspecting the basement of home. While the picture gives you an idea of the size and look, it unfortunately does little justice. The spider was approximately 4-6 inches wide, and in my personal opinion quite large, larger than I thin I can remember ever seeing. R... 06/09/2009

With hot weather soon on its way in Minnesota, many homeowners will be using their air-conditioner. Furthermore, if you are like myself and have allergies you may already be using your air-conditioning system. Now, is the time to get that air-conditioning system prepared for battle during the summer to run effectively and efficently. So how can you get it prepared? Below are a few tips that most DIY homeowners can tackle. 1) Regular maintenance and cleaning are extremely important. Let me repeat this tip: REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT 2) Change your filter monthly.  3) Find your air-conditioning condensate drain line, cap it off (drain-line caps can be found at most hardware stores) and run a dry vaccuum on your line to suck as much dust and particles out of t... 06/01/2009

Beggining June 1st 2009, all new houses built in the state of Minnesota will be required to include features designed to resist or reduce the infiltration of radon gas. State health officials say the change is an important step toward reducing Minnesotans' potential exposure to a cancer-causing gas, but more can be done to reduce radon levels in homes, with testing as the essential first step. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. More than 21,000 deaths are attributed to radon each year in the U.S. according to the U.S. EPA. Radon is an odorless, tasteless gas that forms from the decay of naturally occurring uranium found in rock and soil throughout our state. The primary radon exposure for most people is their home. Radon gets into homes through struct... 05/30/2009

As you can see in the picture above this vent was located in the attic space of a home inspected with a recently remodeled bathroom. As beautiful as the bathroom renovation was this bathroom contained a large problem with the bathroom vent. The white pipe as shown above is connected to the bathroom vent below but only to be vented directly within the home's attic space. This is a major problem because the humidity and moisture contained within the bathroom through showering and bathing is now being released within the attic space. All vents must be terminated outdoors to prevent moisture accumulation in this direct area of the attic and cause potential wood rot and mold. Next time you are in your attic or adding a fan to a bathroom in your home, make sure it is always venting outdoors ... 05/29/2009