Highland Park

Highland Park is one of Saint Paul's most sought-after neighborhoods, a leafy, established district of well-kept period homes and postwar housing on the bluffs above the Mississippi. The mix of eras here means the inspection has to flex from century-old construction to mid-century systems.

Highland's housing runs from 1920s and 1930s Tudors and bungalows to solid postwar homes, so the condition of the wiring, panels, and mechanicals varies block by block. We report the age and condition of each system, look for surviving fuse boxes and recalled panels in the older homes, and flag mechanicals approaching the end of their service life.

The neighborhood's position near the river bluff makes drainage and grading worth a close look. Basement moisture is worth tracing back to its source, and sump-pump reliability matters, because the bluff-side lots do not all drain the same way. Roofs, attics, and winter performance round out the picture. Remaining roof life, and insulation and ventilation for the ice-dam conditions a Minnesota winter exposes, are the things to watch.