Five common Baja real estate transactions, broken into plain steps and the actual documents each one calls for. No legalese — tap any underlined term for a quick definition.
Property in Mexico needs its own plan — a will from your home country generally doesn't control what happens to it here. This path covers the two tools most owners use together.
Without a Mexican plan in place, your Mexican property can end up tied up in a slower, more complicated Mexican probate process (intestate succession).
Most owners in the use two tools together — a Mexican will for anything not covered by a trust, and a substitute beneficiary designation inside the .
If property is held in a bank trust, you can name who inherits your beneficiary rights directly in the trust agreement — no Mexican probate needed for that property.
For directly-held property or other Mexican assets, a Mexican will drafted by a ensures your wishes are followed under Mexican law.
Mexican notarios register wills in a national registry so there's an official, findable copy.
Marriage, divorce, a new property, a new heir — good reasons to update both the will and the trust's beneficiary designation; review every few years regardless.
Everything in this library reflects Baja Property Insider’s best understanding as of the review date above, but Mexican real estate law, tax rates, and municipal requirements are updated regularly — sometimes without much notice. Baja Property Insider is an independent education platform; it does not practice law and does not provide legal advice. For guidance specific to your transaction, we can connect you directly with Gerardo Sánchez Aramburu, an independent Mexican attorney who works directly with foreign buyers and property owners in Baja California Sur.
Rules like these can shift year to year — talk to independent counsel about your transaction →
