Buyer guide
Buying Property in Mexico as an American
Yes. The structure changes at the coast. Puerto Vallarta is inside the restricted zone.
Illustrative lifestyle image — not a listing photograph.
Mexican law allows foreigners to acquire real estate. Inland, many Americans take direct title. On the coast and along borders, the constitution creates a restricted zone — commonly described as 50 kilometers from the shoreline and 100 kilometers from an international border. Puerto Vallarta and essentially all of Banderas Bay sit inside that band.
Residential buyers here almost always use a fideicomiso: a Mexican bank holds legal title as trustee and you are named beneficiary with rights to use, rent, improve, sell, and inherit. It is the designed statutory path, in use for decades. A Mexican corporation is a different tool and is not the default vacation-home structure.
None of this removes the need to verify the seller’s authority, liens, HOA standing, and land status. The trust is not a substitute for due diligence.
This page is not immigration advice. A home purchase does not, by itself, set your visa position.
Educational content only. Not legal, tax, or immigration advice.
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Educational site only. Confirm title, HOA rules, and costs with a notario and qualified Mexican counsel.