Absolutely, and we encourage you to reach out now. Some clients come to us a year or more before they're ready to buy and use that time to get to know the neighborhoods, pricing, and buying process — while others move quickly and close on their very first trip to Guanajuato Capital. Either way, there's no pressure and no cost to start the conversation. We're happy to send you properties as they come up, answer your questions, and be a resource while you find your own pace.

Bank financing for foreigners does exist in Mexico, but it's uncommon, slow, and more expensive compared to what's standard in the United States or Canada. Most of our buyers pay cash or arrange financing in their home country (a HELOC, a refinance, or a cross-border lender) before they start looking for property here.

Budget between 5% and 8% of the purchase price for closing costs — this covers the notary's fees, the acquisition tax, registration, and the appraisal. (We'll confirm the exact figure with our notary once you have a property under contract — it varies slightly by transaction.)

No — and this is one of the big advantages of buying in Guanajuato Capital. Unlike coastal or border properties, Guanajuato Capital sits outside Mexico's "restricted zone," so foreign buyers can hold the deed directly in their own name (or in the name of an LLC/corporation), just like a Mexican citizen. You will still need a permit from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), which your notary handles as a routine part of closing.

No. If you can't be present, you can grant someone — typically your notary or your agent — a Power of Attorney (POA) to sign on your behalf. We'll walk you through the process no matter where you're located.

Generally, yes. How much room there is depends on how well the price is positioned relative to the local market and how much interest the property is getting — a well-priced home with several interested buyers won't move much on price, while an overpriced listing or one that's been sitting on the market for a while usually has more flexibility.

The seller pays the commission — as a buyer, you don't need to budget for it.

Not to close the purchase. That said, it makes everyday life much easier — paying utilities, a property manager, or contractors is simpler with a local account. To open one, you'll typically need temporary or permanent residency first.

In general terms: you find the property, make an offer, sign a promissory purchase agreement (with your deposit held in escrow with our escrow company), your notary carries out title and tax searches, you finalize financing or the funds transfer, and finally you sign the deed before the notary. We're with you every step of the way.

Guanajuato Capital doesn't have a centralized MLS the way some other Mexican markets or the U.S. market do — listings tend to be scattered across dozens of independent agents, each with their own private inventory. That's why we created the Moxie Partner Network (MPN): a group of trusted local agents who collaborate and share listings instead of working in isolation. So when you work with Moxie, you're not limited to our own listings — you get access to a much wider pool of properties across the city, while still having a single agent coordinating your search and looking out for your interests.

Yes, even if the property is sold "as-is." Inspections are a relatively recent addition to the buying process here — for a long time, homes were simply sold in their current condition with no formal review, until agents began recommending inspections so buyers wouldn't unknowingly inherit major structural or systems problems. Today they're common practice, but it's worth having realistic expectations: local inspectors are generally very good at catching major issues (structure, roof, foundation, plumbing, electrical), but they typically don't go into the same level of detail as a U.S. inspector, and they don't carry insurance — so there's no way to seek compensation if something is missed. In practice, this means you can negotiate with the seller over major defects, but minor items are more likely to be yours to handle after closing. The good news: plumbing, electrical, and paint work here cost a fraction of what they would in the U.S. or Canada, so small repairs rarely add up to a major financial burden — something I can confirm firsthand, having personally overseen many remodeling projects.

Generally, yes, but check municipal permit requirements first — local regulations and any homeowners' association restrictions can affect what's allowed and what documentation or insurance you'll need.

That's a personal decision — spouses, partners, or children can be added to the deed. We recommend discussing it with your notary or a cross-border estate attorney, since it has inheritance and tax implications.

A Mexican will isn't required to buy property in Guanajuato Capital, but we strongly recommend one — a will made in the U.S. or Canada doesn't automatically cover assets in Mexico, and without one, your heirs could face a much longer and more complicated process to inherit the property. A Mexican will must be written in Spanish and signed before a notary, but the process is simple: many clients start by writing out their wishes in their own language, and the notary handles the translation and formal drafting from there. Costs are moderate, and it's normally a quick appointment once the details are settled.

Mexico offers temporary and permanent resident visas, and both typically begin with an application at a Mexican consulate in your home country. Owning property here can support a visa application, but it isn't a requirement to buy. The requirements and process tend to change from year to year, so rather than working from outdated information, we can refer you to trusted specialists who stay current on the details and can help you move efficiently toward your specific goals.

A notario público in Mexico is a highly trained attorney appointed by the state government, with powers that a "notary public" in the U.S. doesn't have — they draft and certify the deed, calculate the applicable taxes, and are legally responsible for the accuracy of the transaction. Buyers have the right to choose which notario they close with.

An apostille is an internationally recognized certificate that authenticates a document — a Power of Attorney, a birth certificate, a marriage certificate, etc. — so it's legally valid outside the country where it was issued. A document notarized in the U.S. or Canada isn't automatically valid in Mexico: it also needs to be apostilled (or, in some cases, notarized again through the correct channel) before a Mexican notario will accept it. If you're outside Mexico and need to authenticate a document for your purchase — most commonly, a Power of Attorney — the apostille is issued by the Secretary of State's office in the U.S., or the equivalent provincial/federal authority in Canada. It's worth starting this process early, since it can take a few weeks depending on where you are.

Always verbally confirm wiring instructions directly with your notario's office or your bank — by phone, using a number you already know is correct — before sending funds. Wire fraud targeting real estate closings is a real risk, and instructions received only by email should never be treated as valid without confirmation.

Something important to know: in Mexico, notarios are not legally authorized to hold client funds "in personal trust" the way an attorney might in other countries — so how a deposit is held really matters. At Moxie, we work with a dedicated escrow company rather than routing funds through an agent's or attorney's personal account. Your deposit stays with that neutral escrow provider and is only released according to signed instructions, once the agreed conditions are met — protecting both parties until closing.

It typically takes anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months for the fully registered deed to be returned, depending on the workload at the local public registry.