Buying, building and owning property in Baja California Sur: free step-by-step guide

Paso a Paso Baja walks you through buying, building and owning property in Baja California Sur, Mexico, in order: from due diligence and the bank trust (fideicomiso) to building permits, predial and residency. It's free. Fees are shown as estimate ranges.

Start with a topic

• Buying property in Baja California Sur as an American or Canadian
• Fideicomiso: the Mexican bank trust for foreign buyers in Baja California Sur
• Closing costs for property in Baja California Sur (estimate ranges)
• Building permit in Baja California Sur: La Paz, Todos Santos, El Pescadero, Los Cabos
• How to build a house in Baja California Sur, step by step
• Predial (property tax) in La Paz, Todos Santos and Los Cabos
• ZOFEMAT: the federal beach zone for beachfront property in Baja
• Ejido land in Baja California Sur: can a foreigner buy it?
• Notario público in Baja California Sur: what the notario does at closing
• Mexican residency for US and Canadian property owners in Baja

By place

• La Paz
• Los Cabos (Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo)
• Comondú (Ciudad Constitución)
• Loreto
• Mulegé (Santa Rosalía)
• Todos Santos
• El Pescadero
• East Cape (Los Barriles)

1. Before buying (due diligence)

1. Build your team and your due-diligence plan
2. Other structures you'll be offered: lease, Mexican company, front person
3. Is it communal land (ejido) or private property?
4. Communal land (ejido): from a parcel to private property you can buy
5. Communal land deep check: full ownership (dominio pleno) and the agrarian registry file (RAN)
6. Title search (estudio de títulos / búsqueda registral)
7. No-lien certificate (certificado de libertad de gravámenes)
8. Property tax and land-record check (predial y catastro)
9. Zoning and minimum-lot-size pre-check
10. Water
11. Road access and power proximity
12. Utilities by town: water, power, sewer and internet before you buy
13. Federal beach zone (ZOFEMAT)
14. Coastal checks: federal beach zone (ZOFEMAT), setbacks, erosion and beach access
15. Boundary survey (deslinde / levantamiento topográfico)
16. Condo vs. land (and house)
17. Condo regime review: bylaws, fees, reserves and rental rules
18. Home inspection before you sign
19. Presales and pre-construction
20. Scams and red flags

2. Buying

1. How you'll pay: cash, home-country equity, cross-border lenders, Mexican banks, developer plans
2. Confirm the restricted zone applies
3. Bank trust or Mexican company: choosing how to hold title
4. The public notario (notario público)
5. Offer and promise to purchase (contrato de promesa de compraventa)
6. Escrow
7. Gather your ID and buyer documents
8. ID number and tax ID for foreign buyers (CURP and RFC): when you need them
9. Choose the trustee bank (fiduciaria)
10. Buying a property already in a trust
11. Foreign Ministry permit for your bank trust (SRE permit, fideicomiso)
12. Appraisal and purchase tax
13. Total closing costs
14. Closing costs by municipality (all five)
15. Moving the money: exchange rate, wires and paying at closing
16. If a buyer can't attend closing: power of attorney, apostille and translation
17. Sign the deed (escritura)
18. Record the deed at the public registry (RPPC)
19. Catastro transfer (traslado de dominio)

3. After closing

1. Tell the Foreign Ministry the permit was used (aviso de uso de permiso, SRE)
2. Register with the foreign investment registry (RNIE)
3. Check the recorded deed and build your property file
4. Fix name errors on your deed (acta aclaratoria) and record them again
5. Sign up for property tax (predial) in your municipality and set up payments
6. Property tax (predial): early-payment discounts and paying from abroad
7. Annual trust fee
8. Transfer the utilities
9. Banking and wires
10. Your yearly ownership calendar

4. Building

1. Budget: construction cost per m²
2. Hire the architect, licensed site engineer (DRO), permit runner (gestor) and contractors
3. Bank's permission for permits (the bank holds title in a trust)
4. Link your lot in Mis Predios (La Paz online portal)
5. Topographic survey (contour plan)
6. Environmental impact study (MIA, federal through SEMARNAT or state)
7. Hurricane season and wind design
8. Solar and off-grid power
9. Internet
10. State land-use opinion (dictamen técnico de uso de suelo)
11. Lot-size exception (dispensa): go or no-go
12. City land-use approval (uso de suelo)
13. Subdivision review and utility letters (lotificación) – only if required
14. Water, well and septic
15. Soils study and percolation test
16. Street alignment and official address (alineamiento y número oficial)
17. Electricity hookup (CFE)
18. Predial no-debt certificate (certificado de no adeudo)
19. Building permit (licencia de construcción)
20. Excavation license (if you dig deeper than 0.60 m)
21. Construction contract and payment schedule
22. Social security for construction workers (IMSS)
23. Builder's risk insurance during construction
24. Construction waste plan (larger jobs)
25. Inspections and the site logbook (bitácora)
26. Materials and suppliers in Baja
27. Renew the building license if work runs past 24 months (refrendo)
28. Notice of completion (aviso de terminación de obra)
29. Permanent electricity contract (CFE)
30. Water and sewer connection (OOMSAPAS)
31. Update Catastro (and record the new construction)
32. Record the house on the deed (declaración de obra nueva)
33. Building permits by municipality: where to go in each of the five

5. Owning long-term

1. Substitute beneficiaries and inheritance
2. Wills: Mexican will vs. the trust's substitute beneficiaries
3. Home insurance (hurricanes and earthquakes)
4. Owning from abroad: managers, caretakers, squatters and hurricane prep
5. If you employ people at your home (housekeeper, gardener, caretaker)
6. HOA and condo obligations
7. Renting and taxes
8. Short-term rentals: tax ID, income tax, sales tax and the state lodging tax (RFC, ISR, IVA)
9. Selling
10. Selling: capital-gains tax (ISR) and the home exemption
11. Trust term and renewal
12. When your trustee bank changes, or you want to switch
13. Keep and renew a federal beach zone concession (ZOFEMAT)
14. Yearly check-up of your property file

6. Residency in Mexico

1. Choose: visitor (FMM), temporary or permanent residency
2. How residency affects buying and owning
3. Check your consulate's 2026 economic-solvency figures
4. Gather documents and book the appointment
5. Family members
6. Consulate appointments in the US and Canada, and immigration offices (INM) in Baja California Sur
7. Enter Mexico and swap your visa for a residency card at immigration (canje, INM) within 30 days
8. Your ID number and tax ID (CURP and RFC)
9. Opening a Mexican bank account
10. Renewals, temporary → permanent after 4 years, and reporting changes
11. Driving your US or Canadian car
12. Bringing your household goods (menaje de casa)
13. Healthcare and insurance for residents
14. Bringing pets
15. Vehicles as a resident: Baja's free zone, permits and plates

Questions and answers · Glossary