Can we keep what we paid for the house out of the public record?
Mostly no on the price — and anyone promising otherwise is selling you something. Minnesota requires a Certificate of Real Estate Value when property sells, and sale prices end up in the public record. Plan around that instead of fighting it.
What you can control is the name attached to the story. Title can be held by a trust or an entity, so the public line reads like paperwork instead of like you. Setting that up correctly is attorney work — I'm not a lawyer, and this isn't legal advice — and it needs to be in place before closing, not after.
The rest of privacy is process: no chatter, showings and negotiations handled without your name making the rounds. The price becomes a public number eventually. It doesn't have to come with a public narrative. That part I run quietly as a matter of course.
I wrote this answer, and I stand behind it. I'm Chris Deutsch, a Minneapolis Realtor (MN #20382264). Twenty-five years of walking these neighborhoods, checking basements, and sitting across kitchen tables from people making exactly this call. I re-check every answer and date it — this one was last verified .
If your situation is more specific than the market, that's the one worth talking through. Email me at chris@lakesarearealty.com.