Mortgages in Mexico

To start the mortgage or refinance process, fill out the form on this page. We are excited to have a conversation so that our team of experts can help you buy your dream home.

The Mexican constitution says that no foreigner can directly own titled property within 50km of the coast or 100km of the border. If you are not a Mexican national and want to buy property in these restricted areas, it is done via a bank trust or Fideicomiso in Spanish. Our partners work with you to create trust as part of your loan process. You may choose to hold your rights to the property in your name(s), a US-based revocable trust, LLC, or corporation. Click here to start the process by answering a few simple questions.

The typical length of a fideicomiso bank trust is 50 years. There are easy, renewable options for additional 50-year terms.

The buyer (who is also known as the beneficiary) has the right to use, occupy, build, improve, lease, and possess the property. The beneficiary may also instruct the trustee (the Mexican bank) to transfer the rights to another qualified buyer or bequeath the property to an inheritor. The initial term of the trust is 50 years and can be renewed for additional periods of 50 years indefinitely. Our partners handle all aspects of the bank’s trust for the buyer as part of the loan process.

According to Mexican law, property held in trust (or fideicomiso in Spanish) by a trustee bank is not an asset of the bank. If the bank is to ever have financial problems, the property is transferred to another trustee bank.

Under the trust agreement, you (the property owner) are the beneficiary. This means there is a contractual right with the bank that details all benefits from the use or sale of that property are yours. As a trustee, the bank has a fiduciary obligation under Mexican law to respect the rights of the beneficiary. The same beneficiary has a contractual right to renew the bank trust for another 50-year term when it expires with multiple extensions possible.

All property transactions in Mexico are overseen and completed by a Notario Publico. They are the legal entity that reviews all the required documents that relate to a real estate transaction. This means there is assurance that all documents are valid, have been double-checked and everything is following Mexican law. Additionally, the Notario Publico collects the tax for the property transaction and forwards the money to the (Mexican) tax authorities.

An apostille stamp verifies the signatures and stamps that are on legal certificates and documents to be authentic. This means, all documents and certificates are original and the signature of the certifier has been corroborated. An apostille stamp can be requested on some documents during the mortgage process. Our partners work with a trusted vendor that is approved to apostille documents in all 50 US states.

The Public Registry is a government office that houses documents about the current land title and its previous ownership. They are comparable to a County Recorder’s Office in the United States. In Mexico, deeds are open to the public and can be researched in these offices. During every real estate transaction, the Notario Publico searches the title of the property for the previous 10 years to verify that there are no liens recorded against it. This also verifies that the seller can transfer ownership rights to you.

A Deed is a legal document that is written in Spanish. It specifies the buyer, seller, property location and price. The Deed must be signed by the seller and the Notario Publico. The Deed is recorded in the Public Registry and the Notario Publico issues a certified copy to the new owner.

Closing costs in Mexico include the Notario Publico’s fees, property transfer tax and appraisal fees. Our partners will walk you through all of the closing costs and help you understand them before you make any decisions.