Uh-Oh Stucco?!

[Kyle Soderman]

Looking for your advice and expertise on Stucco siding. Anybody with experience with Stucco siding in Minnesota MN would be great. What I know (at least I think I know): I know that there are two (or more?) types of Stucco, real and synthetic. I've read that synthetic comes along with many problems. I also read that if it is real Stucco then it is very reliable. Since I am from Minnesota there are drastic temperature changes and also very wet. What I'm wondering: How long does real Stucco siding last? Is synthetic Stucco the beginning of a bad deal in a climate like MN? Can an inspector tell if it is real or synthetic? Or would one have to have a specialists check it out? Any other comments/ opinions are welcome. Thanks!