Seller FAQs

Your agent prepares a comparative market analysis from recent sales and active listings in your neighborhood, because Marina Vallarta, the Zona Romántica, Nuevo Vallarta, Bucérias and Sayulita each price differently. Condition, view, amenities, HOA fees and rental history all count.

We also look at who the likely buyer is. A North American buyer compares in dollars and a Mexican buyer in pesos, and that shapes how the listing is priced and presented. A price that fits the market in the first weeks does more for the final result than any other decision. Start with a free home valuation.

Major work is rarely needed, but a few targeted fixes usually pay for themselves. In Puerto Vallarta the best returns come from fresh paint inside and out, a professional deep clean, repairs to any water damage or humidity stains, updated light fixtures and air conditioning that works well. On beachfront and ocean-view properties, deal with salt-air corrosion on railings and metalwork. Your agent will walk the property with you and give you a short list in order of priority.

Decluttering and staging still matter. In this market, three things make the biggest difference:

• The view. Trim landscaping, clean windows and terrace glass, and set up the outdoor spaces.
• Rental potential. Many buyers here want a property they can rent right away. Leaving good furnishings and sharing rental history, when you have it, speeds up offers.
• Professional media. Photography, drone footage and a 3D tour. Most buyers see your property online long before they visit.

Selling as is can be the right call for an older or inherited property, or when you have already moved away. The trade-off is that as-is properties draw mostly investors, usually sell for less than comparable updated homes and can take longer to sell. If you can put a modest amount into preparation, a partial refresh often nets more. We can lay out both options with realistic numbers so you can decide.

It depends on the price range and location. As a rough guide:

• Well-priced condos in active areas such as Marina Vallarta, the Zona Romántica, the Hotel Zone and Nuevo Vallarta: about 3 to 9 months.
• Houses and villas: about 6 to 12 months.
• Luxury properties above US$2 million: 6 to 18 months, sometimes longer.

Once you accept an offer, closing usually takes another 30 to 60 days while the notario prepares the deed, the trust paperwork and the certificates.

Your listing goes on the regional MLS shared by AMPI agencies, on cblacosta.com and across the Coldwell Banker® network. Qualifying luxury listings can also appear on ColdwellBankerGlobalLuxury.com, JamesEdition, Mansion Global and Unique Homes. We add professional photography, drone and video, social media and email to our list of more than 25,000 contacts. Most buyers here come from the United States, Canada and Mexico City, so the listing has to reach all three.

More than list and advertise. Your agent prices the property, runs the marketing, arranges showings, qualifies buyers and negotiates the offer. After that, the agent coordinates with the notario, the bank for any fideicomiso cancellation and the escrow company, gathers the no-debt certificates for property tax, water and HOA, supports the capital gains calculation and keeps the closing on schedule. AMPI-certified agents follow a professional code of ethics and share the regional MLS.

Typical seller costs include:

• Real estate commission, usually 6% to 8% of the sale price, plus 16% IVA on the commission. The exact rate depends on the price bracket of the property and is set in your listing agreement. Ask for a factura: it is also a deductible cost for capital gains.
• Capital gains tax (ISR), calculated and withheld by the notario at closing. For many sellers this is the largest cost.
• Fideicomiso cancellation, if the property is held in a bank trust. The bank sets the fee, commonly around US$1,000.
• Certificates of no debt for property tax (predial), water and HOA, all paid up to date.
• Prorated predial and HOA fees up to the closing date.
• Payoff of any mortgage or lien, paid from the proceeds.

The buyer pays the acquisition tax, the notario fees and the registry costs. Before you sign a listing agreement we prepare a written estimate of your net proceeds.

The notario calculates the tax and withholds it at closing. How it is figured depends on your tax residency:

• Mexican tax residents pay progressive rates of up to 35% on the net gain: the sale price less the purchase cost adjusted for inflation, documented improvements and selling costs such as the commission.
• Non-residents pay 25% of the gross sale price with no deductions, or can choose 35% of the net gain when they appoint a legal representative in Mexico and the sale is formalized before a notary.

All figures are in pesos, even when the price was agreed in dollars, so exchange-rate movement between your purchase and your sale changes the peso gain.

• Keep your purchase deed. Your purchase price is your largest deduction.
• Keep a factura (CFDI) for every improvement. Work paid in cash without an invoice cannot be deducted.
• As a non-resident, appoint a legal representative early so you can pay on the net gain instead of 25% of the gross price.
• If Mexico is your home, build your residency paper trail so you can claim the exemption described below.
• Ask the notario for a written estimate before you accept an offer.

Our tax strategies guide covers eight legal ways to pay less. This is general information, not tax advice.

Mexican tax residents can exempt the sale of their home (casa habitación) under Article 93, section XIX of the income tax law when:

• they have an RFC and Mexican tax residency;
• they can prove the property is their home, usually with utility bills and statements in their name at that address;
• they have not used the exemption in the previous three years;
• the sale is formalized before a notary.

The exemption covers up to 700,000 UDIs of the sale price, about MXN 6.2 million at the October 2026 UDI value. Above that amount, the excess is taxed proportionally. Start collecting the documents well before you list, because the notario cannot accept proof that does not exist.

Foreigners own property in the restricted zone, within 50 km of the coast, through a fideicomiso. When you sell, the bank trustee is notified, the annual trust fees must be current and the trust is either transferred to the buyer or, more often, cancelled while the buyer sets up a new one. The notario coordinates with your bank and registers the transfer. From accepted offer to closing, trust sales usually take 45 to 60 days.

No. Many sellers close from abroad by giving a power of attorney (poder) to a trusted representative. The power of attorney must be:

• signed before a notary in your home country;
• apostilled, or legalized at a Mexican consulate, depending on the country;
• translated into Spanish by an authorized translator (perito traductor) in Mexico.

Allow four to six weeks for the process. We handle the rest remotely: electronic signature of the listing agreement, video tours for buyers, documents sent electronically and net proceeds wired to your account.

Most properties in Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit that are marketed to international buyers are listed in US dollars. Properties aimed at Mexican buyers may be listed in pesos. Either way, the deed (escritura) records the price in pesos at the exchange rate on the closing date, and your capital gains tax is calculated in pesos.

• The deed (escritura), original or a certified copy from the public registry.
• The fideicomiso contract and the latest annual trust receipt, if applicable.
• A current property tax (predial) receipt.
• A current water bill with no balance due.
• An HOA statement showing fees paid and no pending special assessments.
• Construction permits and facturas for improvements.
• Passport or official ID for every owner.
• RFC and proof of residency if you are claiming the exemption.
• A survey or floor plan, if you have one.

Yes. We schedule showings around you with reasonable notice. If the property is a vacation rental, we work with you and your rental manager to show it between guests. Empty properties often photograph better, so we may suggest keeping a few weeks free during the busiest showing season.

Yes. The balance is paid at closing from the sale proceeds. The notario confirms the payoff amount with your lender, pays it and registers the lien release (cancelación de hipoteca), so the buyer receives clean title and you receive the net proceeds.

Every owner on the deed, or every beneficiary of the fideicomiso, signs the sale or grants a power of attorney to someone who signs for them. Each one provides ID. For an inherited property, the succession (juicio sucesorio or a notarial succession) has to be completed before the sale. We can introduce you to notaries who handle successions.

They share an airport and an economy, but they are in different states. Puerto Vallarta is in Jalisco; Nuevo Vallarta, Bucérias, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Punta de Mita and Sayulita are in Nayarit. Each state has its own public registry, notary fees and acquisition tax, which the buyer pays. Buyers differ too: the Zona Romántica and Marina Vallarta draw many international condo buyers, while the Riviera Nayarit draws more villa and beach-town buyers. Our agents work both states.

Usually, if you are a US citizen, US green card holder or Canadian resident:

• US sellers report the sale on Form 1040 (Schedule D and Form 8949). Mexican ISR can often be claimed as a foreign tax credit (Form 1116). FBAR and Form 8938 reporting may apply to Mexican accounts.
• Canadian sellers report the sale on their Canadian return, and the Canada-Mexico tax treaty sets how Mexican tax is credited.

We can introduce you to cross-border tax professionals. This is general information, not tax advice.