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Winona County recorder: housing market busy in 2024, average sale prices rose sharply; land‑sale alerts to be offered this fall
Summary
The county recorder reported a busy 2024 real‑estate market with more buyers than sellers, an increase in higher‑end sales, and plans to offer a free land‑transaction notification service this fall to guard against title fraud.
Winona County’s recorder told commissioners on Feb. 11 that 2024 was another busy year for real‑estate sales, with notable price increases and continued demand for housing and land.
The recorder reported that the county recorded 553 home sales in 2024, 57% of which occurred in the City of Winona (317 sales). He said the price band with the most sales was $150,000–$200,000 with 118 sales and that the county recorded 72 sales above $400,000. The recorder told commissioners the average sale price rose about 30% compared with the end of 2023, which he said had averaged about $201,000; the transcript did not give a clear 2024 dollar figure to replace the 2023 baseline.
The recorder said new lot development and land‑lease approaches (he cited a St. Charles trust offering land leases on lots) are appearing locally, and that demand from out‑of‑state buyers contributed to pressure on stock and prices. He reported a wide range in cropland sales ($6,400–$12,500 per acre) and woodland sales (approx. $3,200–$5,400 per acre), reflecting differences in soil, yield and parcel desirability.
On fraud prevention, the recorder outlined plans to launch a land‑transaction email notification service this fall that will alert subscribers when a recording is made on a specified property or owner name. He said the county will provide installation and training over the summer and expects to accept subscribers by fall; the service will initially be free. The recorder said the notification service is the best available defense against a growing number of recorded‑document scams seen elsewhere.
Ending: Commissioners asked the recorder to consider a quick link on the county website for the recorder’s report and to provide additional breakdowns (for example rural land vs. residential trends) if possible for future meetings.
