Buy in Mexico

2. Explore Properties In Person or Remotely

Depending on your location and travel plans, you may visit properties in person or begin the search remotely. Many listings can now be explored through video walkthroughs, virtual presentations, floor plans, and live calls, making it easier to evaluate options from abroad before narrowing your shortlist.
This stage is also where your advisor helps you compare areas, property types, price ranges, and investment potential.

3. Submit an Offer and Secure the Property

Once you find the right property, your advisor will help you prepare and present a formal offer. If accepted, the next step is typically to secure the deal with a deposit.
For resale properties, this often means placing approximately 10% of the purchase price into a secure escrow account managed by an independent third party while legal due diligence is carried out.
For developer and pre-construction properties, the structure may be different. It is common to begin with a smaller reservation deposit, often around $5,000 USD, followed by a staged payment plan. In many cases, this includes 30–40% at contract signing, additional payments during construction, and the final 10–20% at closing, although terms may vary depending on the project and developer.

4. Legal Review and Due Diligence

Before moving to closing, an independent attorney will review the legal documentation related to the property and the seller. This may include title verification, permits, tax records, ownership history, and confirmation that the property can be legally transferred.
This is one of the most important parts of the process. A proper legal review helps protect the buyer and ensures there are no outstanding issues that could affect the transaction.
For resale properties, a physical inspection may also be recommended depending on the age and condition of the home.

5. Understanding the Fideicomiso

If you are a non-Mexican buyer purchasing within the restricted zone, which includes coastal areas, ownership is commonly structured through a fideicomiso, a bank trust established for your benefit.
Although the bank holds the trust, you remain the beneficiary and retain full rights to use, lease, renovate, sell, or pass the property on to your heirs. It is a well-established legal structure that has been used for many years by foreign buyers acquiring property in Mexico’s coastal regions.
Your attorney and notary will coordinate the setup of the fideicomiso before title is transferred.

6. Final Payments and Closing Preparation

Once due diligence is complete and all parties are ready to move forward, the final balance is prepared for closing. In many cases, the remaining funds are transferred shortly before the signing date, once legal approvals, trust documentation, and notarial coordination are in place.
From accepted offer to closing, the process typically takes 6 to 8 weeks, although this may vary depending on the property type, the parties involved, and whether trust setup, financing, or developer timelines are part of the transaction.

7. Closing the Transaction

Closing may take place in person, or remotely through a Power of Attorney if needed. At this stage, the deed is signed before a Mexican notary public, who plays a formal legal role in the transfer of real estate.Typical closing costs generally range from 5% to 10% of the purchase price, depending on the transaction, and may include:

° Legal fees for due diligence

° Notary public fees

° State property transfer tax

° Setup and first-year fideicomiso fees, often around $2,500 USD

° Registration and administrative costs

Once the deed is recorded and the process is complete, ownership is formally transferred.