Houston County Deed Records

Houston County deed records go back to 1855, making this one of the older land archives in Minnesota. The Houston County Recorder in Caledonia handles all real estate recordings for the county, including warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, contracts for deed, and mortgages. The office has accepted eRecording since 2015 and works with four trusted eRecording submitters. Abstracts of title are made and updated for all parcels in the county. The Torrens system is also available for some properties. Contact the Recorder at 304 S. Marshall St. in Caledonia to search deed records or submit documents for recording.

Houston County Recorder Office

The Houston County Recorder is at 304 S. Marshall St., Caledonia, MN 55921. Mailing address is P.O. Box 29. Phone is 507-724-5813. Michelle Werner is the County Recorder. The Recorder's page is at co.houston.mn.us/departments/recorder/. Staff are available during regular business hours to assist with recordings, searches, and copy requests.

The screenshot below shows the Houston County Recorder's page, which lists the office's eRecording options, trusted submitters, and contact information for the Caledonia office.

From the Recorder's page, you can find the list of approved eRecording submitters, learn about document requirements, and get current office hours and contact details for Houston County deed records.

Houston County sits in the far southeast corner of Minnesota, bordered by Iowa to the south and Wisconsin to the east. The county covers Caledonia and communities like La Crescent, Spring Grove, Rushford Village, and others. All real property recordings for the county are handled by the Recorder's office in Caledonia, and land records date back to 1855 when the county was first organized.

eRecording Houston County Deed Records

Houston County has accepted eRecording since 2015. Electronic submission speeds up the recording process and is the preferred method for title companies and high-volume filers. The county works with four trusted eRecording submitters: Simplifile at (800) 460-5657, ePN at (888) 325-3365, Indecomm at (877) 272-5250, and CSC at (866) 652-0111. These services let authorized users submit deeds and other instruments electronically, and the county processes them faster than paper submissions.

All documents submitted for recording, including eRecording submissions, must meet the standards in Minn. Stat. 507.093. The requirements call for 8.5 by 14 inch white paper (or the electronic equivalent), black ink, a minimum 8-point font, and a 3-inch blank space at the top of the first page for recording stamps. Documents that don't meet these standards may be rejected. Review the requirements before submitting, particularly for older or non-standard documents.

For one-off recordings or searches, in-person and mail submissions are still accepted. If you're mailing documents to the Houston County Recorder, address them to P.O. Box 29, Caledonia, MN 55921 and include the recording fee, deed tax payment, and auditor's certification.

Deed Recording Requirements

Before any deed can be recorded in Houston County, the auditor must certify that property taxes are current. Minn. Stat. 272.12 requires this certification. No deed enters the public record without the auditor's stamp. For most closings in the county, the title company handles this step as part of the standard process.

Under Minn. Stat. 507.34, a deed that has not been recorded is void against a later buyer or lender who records first and pays value without notice of the prior deed. Recording the deed promptly after closing is what protects the new owner's interest. In Houston County's rural and bluff country land market, where properties change hands less frequently than in metro areas, having a clear and current record of ownership is essential for any subsequent transaction.

Both spouses must sign when the property being transferred is a homestead. Minn. Stat. 507.02 requires this. A deed signed by only one spouse on homestead property is legally incomplete and may be voided. Before preparing a deed in Houston County on a residential property classified as homestead, confirm the property's classification and make sure both spouses sign.

Deed tax is paid at recording. Under Minn. Stat. 287.21, the rate is 0.33% of the consideration over $3,000. Sales at or below $3,000 pay $1.65. The recording fee is $46 for most documents. These costs are separate from each other and must both be paid before the Recorder will accept the document.

Types of Deed Records in Houston County

Warranty deeds are the most common deed record type in Houston County. Under Minn. Stat. 507.07, a warranty deed includes the seller's guarantee of clear title and a commitment to defend the buyer against any future title claims. These are used for standard property sales throughout Caledonia, La Crescent, and the rest of the county. Quitclaim deeds, also governed by 507.07, transfer only the grantor's existing interest without any guarantee. They're common in estate distributions, family transfers, and situations where both parties understand the title situation.

Transfer on death deeds are recorded at the Houston County Recorder's office. Under Minn. Stat. 507.071, these deeds name a beneficiary to receive the property at the owner's death without going through probate. The deed must be recorded before death to be effective. It's revocable while the owner lives. Farm families in Houston County often use these to pass land to children without a probate proceeding.

Contracts for deed must be recorded within four months under Minn. Stat. 507.235. In Houston County's agricultural market, where sellers sometimes carry direct financing on farm parcels, timely recording of a contract for deed is critical. A buyer who misses the four-month deadline loses the legal protection that recording provides against other claims on the property.

Abstracts and Torrens Title

Houston County maintains abstracts of title for all parcels in the county. Abstracts compile the full chain of recorded documents for a given parcel, from the original land patent through current ownership. The Recorder's office keeps these records and can assist with abstract updates and new abstract creation. This is a significant service, since many rural county recorders no longer offer full abstracting.

The Torrens system is also available in Houston County for properties that have been registered under Minn. Stat. Chapter 508. Torrens property has a court-issued certificate of title as the definitive proof of ownership. If you're not sure whether a Houston County parcel is abstract or Torrens, the Recorder's office can tell you. The distinction affects how title searches are conducted and what documents are needed to complete a transfer.

The MnGeo land ownership portal at mngeo.state.mn.us includes Houston County parcel data compiled from the county assessor. This is a useful starting point for basic ownership research before requesting specific deed copies from the Recorder's office in Caledonia.

Cities in Houston County

Houston County includes Caledonia, La Crescent, Spring Grove, and several other communities. No cities in Houston County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. All deed records for communities throughout the county are filed with the Houston County Recorder at 304 S. Marshall St. in Caledonia.

Nearby Counties

Houston County is in the far southeast corner of Minnesota, bordered by Fillmore and Winona counties, and Iowa and Wisconsin to the south and east.