Buying a home in Mexico: the steps from offer to deed

Step 1: Fix the legal status of the property

Before negotiating, find out where the property sits and what kind of land it is.

• Restricted zone. Foreigners cannot hold direct title within 50 km of the beaches or 100 km of the borders; a bank trust (fideicomiso, a trust in which a Mexican bank holds title for the foreign beneficiary) is the route for a home. See the overview for foreign buyers and the restricted zone.
• Outside the zone. A foreigner files an agreement with the SRE and obtains a permit; for a municipio wholly outside the zone the permit is deemed granted if no refusal is published within five working days (Foreign Investment Law, art. 10 A). See buying outside the restricted zone.
• Land type. Ejido (agrarian community) land cannot simply be bought by an outsider: read ejido land risks.

Step 2: Reserve, promise or sign a deposit receipt

Many purchases start with a promesa de compraventa (a promise-to-sell contract) and a deposit. Where the seller is a developer, federal consumer law applies: the supplier “cannot receive any payment” until the contractual relationship is in writing, except an investigation fee (LFPC art. 75), and the contract must be registered with PROFECO (art. 73). Read buying off-plan. For a resale between individuals, no federal rule sets the deposit; the contract terms govern.

Step 3: Check the title, the debts and the condition

The checks that matter in practice:

1. The seller’s title and the property’s registry history. The notary must request a certificate of liens before the deed is signed; see the certificate of liens.
2. Property tax and utility payments up to date (a developer must report on these under LFPC art. 73 BIS, item IV).
3. For an apartment, the no-debt certificate and condominium regime.
4. The valuation: needed by a lender, and often by the municipio to set the tax base.

Step 4: Choose the notary

The notary is chosen by the parties. NOM-247 includes among a home buyer’s rights “to freely choose the notary public to carry out the deeding procedure” when buying from a developer. What the notary does and does not do is in the notary’s role. Foreigners must show regular immigration status in real-estate acts before a notary (Ley de Migración, art. 65).

Step 5: Obtain the SRE permit (foreigners, where required)

For a trust in the restricted zone the bank applies to the SRE; the permit is valid 180 calendar days and the 2026 federal fees are in closing costs. The deed cannot be signed on a trust before the permit exists.

Step 6: Signing the deed and paying the tax

At signing the notary reads the deed, the parties sign, and the acquisition tax is calculated and paid. In Mexico City the acquisition tax is paid by declaration within 15 days of the triggering event (Código Fiscal, art. 120); in Guanajuato within 30 days, and the notary signs and files the declaration (Ley Hacendaria Municipal, arts. 50-51). Rates and bases differ by municipio; use the closing-costs calculator. On the seller’s side, the income tax on the sale is computed by the notary (LISR art. 126). One buyer-side rule: if an appraisal exceeds the agreed price by more than 10 %, the difference is treated as the buyer’s income (LISR art. 125).

Step 7: Registration

The federal civil code sets a chain of “preventive notices”: the notary’s certificate request is noted for 30 calendar days; after signing, a notice goes in within 48 hours and is noted for 90 days; a deed filed within those windows ranks from the date of the notice (CCF art. 3016). Mexico City’s own code differs: certificate within seven days, 60 and 90 days. See the property registry. A sale only affects third parties once registered (CCF art. 2322).

Which professional to consult

A notary público formalises the sale; a real-estate lawyer (profile) can review title documents on your behalf; an appraiser (profile) values the property; a mortgage lender (profile) handles credit. Check each one’s registration yourself with the official body.