About Real Estate

Real estate or immovable property is a legal term (in some jurisdictions) that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings. Real estate (immovable property) is often considered synonymous with real property (also sometimes called realty), in contrast with personal property (also sometimes called chattel or personalty). However, for technical purposes, some people prefer to distinguish real estate, referring to the land and fixtures themselves, from real property, referring to ownership rights over real estate.

Look up Real estate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Real estate in Mexico and Central America

Real estate in Mexico and Central America is different from the way that it is conducted in the United States.

Some similarities include a variety of legal formalities, (with professionals such as real estate agents generally employed to assist the buyer); taxes need to be paid (but typically less than those in U.S.); legal paperwork will ensure title; and a neutral party such as a title company will handle documentation and monies in order to smoothly make the exchange between the parties. Increasingly, US title companies are doing work for US buyers in Mexico and Central America.

Prices are often much cheaper than most areas of the U.S., but in many locations prices of houses and lots are as expensive as the US, one example being Mexico City. U.S. banks have begun to give home loans for properties in Mexico, but, so far, not for other Central American countries.

One important difference from the United States is that each country has rules regarding where foreigners can buy. For example, in Mexico, they cannot buy land or homes within 50km of the coast or 100km from a border, while, in Honduras, they may buy beach front property. There are also different special rules regarding certain types of property: ejidos - communally held farm property - cannot be sold to anyone, but that does not prevent them from being offered for sale.

Many websites advertising and selling Mexican and Central American real estate exist, but they may need to be researched.


See also




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