The driveway is approximately 90' long and starts at an 8' width at the roadway, widening to 36' where the asphalt meets concrete apron. The existing base was recycled asphalt on top rock and some poor Class 5. The driveway is fairly steep and where the drainage was directed was a concern which they worked at correcting. What was to happen was that the recycled asphalt was to be scraped off, saved and reused as the base material while the poorer base material would be removed. The recycled asphalt would then be reused, leveled and compacted in preparation for the installation of the finished product. The job was completed and looked great. About 3 years after the installation, long cracks started appearing and we attributed them to areas where power lines were trenched and the ground was not compacted totally. Spider-web like cracked areas started appearing shortly after the long cracks and last summer we started experiencing sink holes in the driveway along a line that stretched from the concrete to one side of the drive. The first happened under the front tire of a contractor's pickup. The next just started appearing not too far away from the first and the most recent happened last week under my own truck tire. These holes we attributed to an area that was not compacted very well. After the first sink hole appeared last summer, we called Howard's Driveway to ask him to come over and give us an estimate to repair the driveway. We thought much of the damage was caused by the equipment that was used during our year-long landscaping projects. He never even returned our call which made me suspicious. It is now another summer and almost 7 years after installation. The real truth was revealed today. Another contractor we called to access the damage and repair the driveway started the project. Our expectation of repairing the driveway has turned into a total removal of the work done by Howard's and replacement of the asphalt and all the underlying base materials. We discovered that where the large spider-web cracks were, the asphalt was less than 1" thick and many areas, this one included, were applied directly over clay. The recycled asphalt base I had was very scarce leading me to believe that it was scraped off and resold to someone else. Poor quality fill and straight clay is what I have left. There were many other areas where the asphalt was only 1" deep too and it was this reason that the entire driveway is being replaced. I took many photos of the entire home building process and reviewed them today after the new contractor removed the existing asphalt. I was appalled to see what was under the existing asphalt verses what was my pictures showed how the original driveway looked before the first asphalt job was started. What we saw today was poor-grade Class 5 and clay with little to no recycled asphalt. My advice is to seek driveway services elsewhere and do some research. When we contracted Howard's in the first place, we were not looking for the cheapest price as we did not even get another bid. Being new to the area, we relied on the advertizing of the contractor and what he described that he would provide. I plan on reviewing the current contractor too, but I have many positive reviews from others and the current contractor is trusted by the state highway department and local government and business customers. "},"url":"https://www.angi.com/companylist/us/mn/menahga/howard%27s-driveway-paving-reviews-5898644.htm"},"position":2},{"@type":"ListItem","item":{"@type":"LocalBusiness","name":"LOGS & LIMBS TREE SERVICE","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressRegion":"MN","addressCountry":"US"},"review":{"@type":"Review","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Dorene F."},"reviewBody":"Logs and Limbs service was outstanding. I had made the mistake of hiring a different tree service from out of town, that came to my door, as they had been working for other neighbors earlier in the week. I did not check Angie's List first as I should have. Needless to say, the other company did not finish the job ( after I paid them ) and I was left with a real mess. A giant tree left laying in my front yard in chunks too large to move with an ox. I saw the Logs and Limbs trucks working down the block at a neighbors home. I stopped and spoke with Jay and his crew and told him of my dilemma. They were just finishing up at my neighbors and said they would stop by and take a look. After surveying what needed to be done, Jay unloaded his Bobcat and removed all the big pieces while his crew started to work on the large stump with their chainsaws. They had the giant tree and stump cut, everything cleaned up and loaded up in about the time it took me to type this. I truly wish I would have done my research and hired them in the first place. While they were here, I had asked Jay to look at 3 other trees that I needed removed for a quotation. This work would require a crane due to the location of the trees and proximity of my garage and shed. Logs and Limbs price quote was VERY reasonable for that work based on other quotes I had received previously. I WILL be hiring them to perform that work when my finances permit. The neighbor whose house they were working at when I stopped today owns several rental properties and told me that Jay has been doing all her tree work for many years and had nothing but praise for their work and service. She heard my story and said, and quot; You should have talked to me first.and quot; I should mention also that Logs and Limbs took the time to take care of my problem immediately, between appointments.That kind of service is hard to come by now a days. Thanks to Jay and his crew I am back in good graces with my wife, and learned a hard lesson about hiring contractors. I would highly recommend Logs and Limbs. Best regards, Mike Tucker
"},"url":"https://www.angi.com/companylist/us/mn/bloomington/logs-and-limbs-tree-service-reviews-179613.htm"},"position":3},{"@type":"ListItem","item":{"@type":"LocalBusiness","name":"First Class Moving Systems Inc","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressRegion":"MN","addressCountry":"US"},"review":{"@type":"Review","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Cathleen C."},"reviewBody":"My husband and I hired First Class Moving to pack and move our home contents from Safety Harbor, FL to Fargo, ND. I did as much research as one can do without having personal or business recommendations. I researched Angie?s List, The Better Business Bureau and by searching the internet and looking for reviews. It was pretty scary, I?ll admit, because it seems that there were only negative comments everywhere I looked; on all the big carriers. Since this was a rather sudden relocation, and a decision had to be made; I went with First Class Moving. Basically because they had an A or a B on Angie?s list, and I couldn?t find anything negative posted on the Internet. Our salesman, Phil. was extremely helpful, polite, and available; until we signed the contract. After that, you couldn?t get a hold of Phil if your life depended on it. We paid to have all our things packed, and moved to Fargo with most being delivered to my apartment, but several things going to my son?s garage in Fargo. We paid extra for the second stop. It would take too long to write this as a narrative, in paragraph form. And since I have already wasted many hours (and elevated Blood Pressures) I?m going to list the problems as they occurred. 1- Lead packer went through our house and garage with my husband labeling what would be going to the first stop and what would be going to the second. This was crucial as it determined what got loaded where. At 6pm they discovered they had no mattress box. No Phil, several attempts to reach him to find out how to get a mattress box were unsuccessful. I did leave him several messages and he never got back to me, ever. Not even the next day. Had to hope that my $1800 mattress would survive squeezed into the truck unprotected. 2- They packed on the 14th, loaded on the 15th and would deliver between the 22nd and the 26th. Our driver was insistent that he would be there before Thanksgiving (the 24th). We got a call on the Wednesday before stating he would be there Friday. Got a call Friday saying they would be there on Saturday. 3- Truck arrived here at the apartment in Fargo approx 10 am Saturday the 26th. They began to unload when they decided that for some reason, it looked like the second stop items were up front and so they would go there first. They get to my son?s house, only to discover that there were only a few items of the second stop in front. But it was too late. They had to unload ALL OF OUR STUFF at my son?s house; onto the lawn and driveway; to get to the items to be stored at his house. It was during this fiasco that they dropped and broke a floor lamp. And threw it away. Once they got all the stuff off and into my son?s garage; they had to load everything back on the truck and bring it back to my apartment. Keep in mind that they un-wrapped all the furniture to see what went where and did not take care to re-wrap it when they put it back on the truck. 4- When they finally got back here to my apartment (the FIRST stop) it was after 4; and getting dark and it was cold. They had hired local workers, who refused to carry anything up the stairs. My apartment is located at the end of the building on the second floor. There is a staircase RIGHT WHERE THE TRUCK RAMP WAS that was ONE short flight up to my apartment. Instead, they carried everything down a very long hall to put it on an elevator. I stayed in the apartment at first. But when I went down to check, I could not believe my eyes. My stuff was EVERYWHERE!! In the hall by the elevator on the first floor, unattended. In the hall by the elevator on the 2nd floor, unattended. And in the elevator. I actually got on the elevator and lo and behold, there was some of my furniture. All by itself, riding up and down the elevator!!! I said something to one of the workers about using the stairs. And he said to me: ?Lady, you?re lucky you got anybody here to help you on this holiday weekend.? I was speechless, but not for long. I told him if he didn?t want to work in the cold he should go home, and he did. My son and I ended up having to move things off the truck and into my apartment or it would have taken several days to get it done. BTW, the truck driver? Never got out of the truck!!! Ever, not once. What a fiasco this was turning out to be. 5- I was trying to check off the inventory of things, which is very difficult to do in an organized manner; never mind in what was a complete cluster f***. Around 8 or 9 pm they said they were done, that they had unloaded everything of mine. Not quite. I still didn?t see my 100 year old dining room buffet. Now, keep in mind this piece is 55 inches long, 42 inches high and 42 inches deep. How do you miss that? And it weighs about 500 lbs!!! He says, ?well I?ll go check, but I didn?t see anything like that?. But he did find it, in someone else?s load on another part of the trailer. 6- After they left, and the next day, and the week after. I began to take note of what wasn?t there and what was broken. I was missing my vacuum, a standing teak shelf, a wooden file cabinet on wheels, and a box with decorative items and wooden shelves. They broke a standing wooden mirror, 2 antique sofa tables, a lamp, my IKEA wall laundry system, and 2 bikes (gears are crushed). 7- I have pictures of how some of the boxes were packed; ridiculous. For example, they would wrap a couple of loose paper clips and some coins in several layers of paper. Yet they put my all-in-one printer and a new scanner in a box together, sideways, with no protection between them!!!! 8- I spoke with Renee Archer several times during this move. She works in the office at First Class Moving. I spoke with her the day after the load about the mattress box and she was so nice and helpful and told me if there was anything wrong with the mattress she would help me get a claim filed and it resolved. I have realized she was only this nice during that call because they hadn?t gotten paid yet. I spoke with the First Class Moving office via phone and email over the next several days after the move. I sent pictures of the damages. And finally Renee told me that there was nothing that they could do. That they were only an agent for North American and it was out of their hands. I could not believe my ears. This information was in no way shared with us when we signed the contract. They made it seem as if they were a franchise type company. She would do nothing for me except let someone know at North American that I would be making a claim. So she pretty much lied to me when she told me she would help me earlier in the move. 9- We submitted a claim with North American, online. Got a call from a local gentleman here in Fargo who said he contracted with North American and would be handling my claim. He came over, took some pictures; and took one of the sofa tables to repair it. He came back with the sofa table about 2 weeks later. And really hadn?t done anything to it. I haven?t heard from him since. Nor have I heard from North American about my claim. 10- We didn?t get the North American insurance coverage on our items because my husband had called our renters insurance company and they said it was covered under that policy, for 30 days after move. Plus, our salesman Phil said ?they never have problems?. Well, turns out our renters isn?t going to cover it either (that?s a whole other complaint). So we are out a few hundred dollars worth of stuff.,"},"url":"https://www.angi.com/companylist/us/fl/tampa/first-class-moving-systems-inc-reviews-155693.htm"},"position":4},{"@type":"ListItem","item":{"@type":"LocalBusiness","name":"Jen & Jeff Geisinger ~ Luke Team Real Estate","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressRegion":"MN","addressCountry":"US"},"review":{"@type":"Review","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Randi M."},"reviewBody":"Our experience with Jen was awesome. She is very knowledgeable and up to date on the latest realstate trends. She is easy to talk to and great to work with. She was able to answer any questions we had and made the whole process much easier. Our house sold in less then three months during the holiday season! She is just a great agent."},"url":"https://www.angi.com/companylist/us/mn/anoka/jen-and-jeff-geisinger-%7E-luke-team-real-estate-reviews-364186.htm"},"position":5}]}
Real Estate Service reviews from real Angi homeowners in Detroit Lakes, MN
Last update on October 15, 2025
Todd H.
5.0
10/2017
No nails at all left in yard. Tarps around the entire yard first. Many roofers in our neighborhood because of hail damage. This guy WAS THE BEST and lapped the rest! He was also the fastest by far. Real unbelievable to this day. I even had a problem with the Mortgage company cosigning an...
Logs and Limbs service was outstanding. I had made the mistake of hiring a different tree service from out of town, that came to my door, as they had been working for other neighbors earlier in the week. I did not check Angie's List first as I should have. Needless to say, the other company...
Cathleen C.
1.0
01/2012
My husband and I hired First Class Moving to pack and move our home contents from Safety Harbor, FL to Fargo, ND. I did as much research as one can do without having personal or business recommendations. I researched Angie?s List, The Better Business Bureau and by searching the internet and...
Randi M.
5.0
05/2007
Our experience with Jen was awesome. She is very knowledgeable and up to date on the latest realstate trends. She is easy to talk to and great to work with. She was able to answer any questions we had and made the whole process much easier. Our house sold in less then three months during the...
We're a well established business with over 40 years of unmatched expertise. Customer preference and priorities are always first. We're very timely with our work and never lose attention to detail. Steven M. Spaeth Appraisals has built a reputation for quality appraisals with each satisfied customer. Our sense of pride is apparent in every appraisal we complete. Call Steven M. Spaeth Appraisals today and we'll be there in your time of need.
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Jim B on November 2018
We're a well established business with over 40 years of unmatched expertise. Customer preference and priorities are always first. We're very timely with our work and never lose attention to detail. Steven M. Spaeth Appraisals has built a reputation for quality appraisals with each satisfied customer. Our sense of pride is apparent in every appraisal we complete. Call Steven M. Spaeth Appraisals today and we'll be there in your time of need.
Welcome to the future of real estate valuation solutions with Akrivis. We combine innovation and evolving technology with our exclusive network of photography contractors to deliver accurate real estate valuations in less than five days. No stress, no fuss, just fast and reliable property values.
"Hired to do valuation of a manufactured home - not on land. Gave appraisal comparison properties included land. therefore not an accurate valuation. Thought salesperson understood nuance. "
Melissa P on October 2025
Welcome to the future of real estate valuation solutions with Akrivis. We combine innovation and evolving technology with our exclusive network of photography contractors to deliver accurate real estate valuations in less than five days. No stress, no fuss, just fast and reliable property values.
"Hired to do valuation of a manufactured home - not on land. Gave appraisal comparison properties included land. therefore not an accurate valuation. Thought salesperson understood nuance. "
We are a Building and Remodeling Company specializing in Homes & Remodeling of all sizes and price points. For over 30 years, we have built a reputation for quality and customer satisfaction, with many referrals as a result.
We are a Building and Remodeling Company specializing in Homes & Remodeling of all sizes and price points. For over 30 years, we have built a reputation for quality and customer satisfaction, with many referrals as a result.
Progressive Lending Solutions/Mortgage located MN and WI, offers mortgage consulting services to clients throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. Secure your real estate loans and contact us at 651-636-2840
Progressive Lending Solutions/Mortgage located MN and WI, offers mortgage consulting services to clients throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. Secure your real estate loans and contact us at 651-636-2840
The Brandenburg Crew is a team of Real Estate Specialists that come together to bring you an experience of a lifetime. We have all the bases covered! On our team, we have a Listing Agent, Buyers Agents and a full team of Marketing and Administration specialists to make selling and buying homes a fast and easy process for our clients! On the Brandenburg Crew, you get SIXTEEN specialists to work for you to achieve your ONE goal of selling your home or finding you the perfect home for your family! Looking to buy or sell your home in the Fargo/Moorhead area? We are the team for you! Let us make your experience of buying or selling your home so easy you won't have to do a thing, except sign your name!
The Brandenburg Crew is a team of Real Estate Specialists that come together to bring you an experience of a lifetime. We have all the bases covered! On our team, we have a Listing Agent, Buyers Agents and a full team of Marketing and Administration specialists to make selling and buying homes a fast and easy process for our clients! On the Brandenburg Crew, you get SIXTEEN specialists to work for you to achieve your ONE goal of selling your home or finding you the perfect home for your family! Looking to buy or sell your home in the Fargo/Moorhead area? We are the team for you! Let us make your experience of buying or selling your home so easy you won't have to do a thing, except sign your name!
AMERICA’S MOST TRUSTED SOURCE FOR DEBT AND CREDIT SOLUTIONS. CreditGuard of America, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit credit counseling agency that is committed to providing innovative solutions for simple to complicated debt and credit issues. CreditGuard provides credit counseling and debt management along with free financial education to consumers throughout the United States, using state-of-the-art technology and superior customer service.
AMERICA’S MOST TRUSTED SOURCE FOR DEBT AND CREDIT SOLUTIONS. CreditGuard of America, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit credit counseling agency that is committed to providing innovative solutions for simple to complicated debt and credit issues. CreditGuard provides credit counseling and debt management along with free financial education to consumers throughout the United States, using state-of-the-art technology and superior customer service.
FAQs for real estate service projects in Detroit Lakes, MN
Yes, hiring a real estate agent is worth it. Many homeowners make the mistake of trying to sell their homes by themselves, thinking that they’ll save money on the commission, but what they save on the commission, they very often pay for in frustration and concessions on the sale price. Hiring a real estate agent to handle the sale of your home not only makes the process far easier and takes the burden off of you, but most homeowners get more for their homes when going through an agent because of the marketing and salesmanship they bring to the table.
Real estate agents work on commission, so the cost of hiring an agent will depend on the cost of the home you’re buying or selling. The listing contract should include information about the commission for both agents, which is usually 6 percent of the sale price in total or 3 percent per side. With an average national home value of around $440,000, the typical commission per agent is $13,200. However, you won’t pay this total out of pocket. Instead, the commission comes out of the sale price of the property.
Interviewing real estate agents is the best way to find the right person for the job. Consider asking the following questions to find the best agent for you:
How will you show my property?
Will you do open houses to market my home?
How will you handle dual agency (representing the buyer and you as the seller)?
Should I make repairs to my home before listing?
Will you get professional photos taken of my home?
What is the best price you think we can get for my property?
How long do you expect the sale to take?
You don’t legally need a real estate agent as a buyer, as you can represent yourself, but you should always hire an agent as a home buyer. A professional real estate agent will have access to local MLS services to find homes that meet your criteria and needs, can connect you with other professionals—like a mortgage broker and real estate attorney—you’ll need for the purchase, and can often negotiate a better price for your home to help save you money. Plus, as the buyer, your agent’s commission comes from the seller’s proceeds from the sale of the home.
The Detroit Lakes, MN homeowners’ guide to real estate services
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.