Mexico’s Foreign Investment Law allows foreigners to acquire indirect title to land in the restricted zone by one of two methods; through a Mexican corporation or through a bank trust (fideicomiso).

This is a subject that everyone wants to know about and everyone wants to find a way to legally avoid. In an effort to keep you up to date, the following is the “cliff note” version of what you need to understand.

For a foreigner, buying property in Mexico is a new and different experience. Most foreigners spend time researching the procedure of buying property, setting up a trust or a corporation and becoming familiar with the different permits and costs required to close on a property transaction in Mexico.

A “pre-sale” purchase exists when a buyer enters into an agreement with a developer to purchase a unit that has not yet been built or finished…

This year, the Mexican tax authority has made some major modifications to the tax law. Furthermore two new taxes have been created and one has been revoked. The two new taxes are “IETU” or “Flat Tax on Business Operation” and “IDE” o “Tax on Cash Deposits”. This document gives brief descriptions of this year’s modifications and the new taxes.

Important changes in Mexico’s tax laws were discussed at a Capital Gains tTax Seminar held on July 20th, 2007…

Back in 1996, Huey Rodeheaver of St. Louis, Missouri, bumped north from the Mexican resort town of Ixtapa in a rented jeep, searching for “pretty beachfront.” He was preparing to sell his telecommunications company for a tidy sum, and wanted a second home to retire to. Puerto Vallarta was too big; Cancún, too young.

Over the years I have been contacted by many foreigners who are frustrated with the fees they have to pay to the bank acting as their trustee. Unfortunately, upon reviewing their trust agreements (escrituras) I have to inform them that when their trust was set up they agreed to pay the fees the bank charges and also authorized the bank to be able to unilaterally modify these fees.

A very large part of Mexican real estate is classified as ejido land. Ejido land is not private property and cannot be bought and sold as if it were. However, since the constitutional reforms of 1992 ejido land now can be converted into private property and sold to third parties, including foreigners. The present article will briefly describe what an ejido is and how ejido land is classified as well as talk about the ways in which ejido land can be converted into private property.

TRONCONES, Mexico — Former Alaska fisherman Dewey McMillin has done something unique in the world of Mexican beachfront development. He’s made everyone happy.
Mr. McMillin, the first foreigner to settle in this sleepy village in Guerrero state, led local inhabitants through the red tape of getting proper title to their collectively held land, helped them parcel it among themselves, and then spearheaded a sales campaign to draw in wealthy foreigners.