Baja Property Insider · Selling · Stage Worksheet

Preparing to list

Last reviewed September 2026 · bajapropertyinsider.com

You intend to sell. Everything you fix now is invisible to the market; everything you leave will surface during a buyer's review, when you have less leverage.

What usually happens next

1. 01 — Resolve any gap between the registered property and the property as it stands.

   If the record says one thing and the ground says another — unregistered construction, an old survey, a name discrepancy — the notario will require it resolved before closing. Regularisation through the municipality and notario is routine but slow; starting it now keeps it off the critical path of a future sale.

2. 02 — Clear liens, arrears and outstanding assessments.

   Recorded liens must be formally cancelled at the registry — paying a debt does not remove its record by itself. Tax, utility and HOA arrears will be requested as current receipts. Clearing these now is paperwork; clearing them against a buyer's deadline is leverage lost.

3. 03 — Assemble the document package a serious buyer will request.

   Escritura, current predial receipts, a fresh lien certificate, trust statements if applicable, condo documents if applicable, and invoices for improvements. Having the package ready shortens every later stage and signals to buyers that the sale will be clean. Certificates expire, so note which ones will need refreshing.

4. 04 — Agree listing terms in writing: price, currency, commission, duration, exclusivity.

   The listing agreement is a contract like any other. Set the commission rate, how long the agreement runs, whether it is exclusive, and how the advertised currency converts at closing. Verbal listing arrangements are common here and are where most seller-agent disputes begin.

What to watch for

• Signing an exclusive listing with no end date or no performance expectations.
• Listing in dollars without deciding how the peso conversion will be handled at closing.
• Marketing a property before the ownership paperwork supports a sale.

Papers and people

• Who is involved: Notario · Accountant · Agent · Municipality
• Documents that show up: Escritura · Lien certificate · Tax and fee receipts · Listing agreement

Notes

Gerardo Sánchez Aramburu

Independent Attorney Partner

Some steps on this sheet are judgment calls, not paperwork. When one of them turns out to matter for your transaction, an independent Mexican attorney is the right next reader — someone answerable to you, not to the deal. Gerardo works directly with foreign buyers and owners in Baja California Sur, in private 30-minute consultations.

Book directly: bajapropertyinsider.com/legal-guidance

Sources and last reviewed

Last reviewed September 2026. Laws, rates, and municipal requirements change. Treat this page as a starting point and confirm anything you intend to rely on with your notario or an independent Mexican attorney.

• Ley del Notariado para el Estado de Baja California Sur — Defines what a notario must verify, certify, calculate, and file for a property transfer.
• Ley del Impuesto Sobre la Renta (SAT) — Seller-side income tax on a property sale, and the residency-based exemptions.
• Seller's guide to trusts, eSales International — Assignment of rights versus a new trust, and what the bank asks a seller for. (https://esalesinternational.com/2026/05/08/understanding-the-fideicomiso-a-sellers-guide-to-trusts/)

A finished checklist is a well-prepared file, not a verified transaction. Baja Property Insider — bajapropertyinsider.com