Buying in San Miguel de Allende
Yes. San Miguel de Allende lies outside Mexico’s restricted zone, so Americans, Canadians, and other foreign buyers can hold the title deed (escritura) directly in their own name — no bank trust (fideicomiso) is required. Foreign buyers simply obtain a standard purchase permit from Mexico’s foreign ministry (SRE) as part of closing.
No. You can buy property in San Miguel de Allende while visiting on a tourist visa. Property ownership does not require residency — and owning a home here can support a later residency application if you decide to make the move permanent.
Yes — when the transaction is done properly. The real risks are well known: unclear title, unpaid liens, unregularized ejido (communal) land, and construction that was never permitted. Every one of these is detectable before you sign. That is exactly why Kimmel Realty Group provides every buyer with an independent real estate attorney, at no extra cost, from offer to closing.
After your offer is accepted, a purchase agreement is signed and a deposit placed. Your attorney and the notario público then run the title search, verify taxes and liens, and prepare the deed. A typical closing in San Miguel de Allende takes 30–60 days.
Plan on roughly 5–8% of the purchase price. The main items are the property acquisition tax (ISAI), notario fees, registration in the public registry, an appraisal, and the SRE foreign-buyer permit.
Most purchases in San Miguel de Allende close in cash — Mexican mortgage financing for foreigners is limited and expensive. Many of our buyers use home-equity or investment financing from their home country instead. We can walk you through the options that fit your situation.
Remarkably low. Annual property tax (predial) on a million-dollar home is typically under US$2,000, with a discount for early payment each year. Utilities, staff, and maintenance also cost a fraction of what they do in the US or Canada.
The Attorney Difference
Kimmel Realty Group is the only brokerage in San Miguel de Allende that provides its buyer clients an independent real estate attorney in every transaction, under a direct engagement contract with you — at no additional cost. Founder Jeff Kimmel has been a California attorney since 1980; protecting the client’s legal position is the core of how we work.
No. The notario público is a government-appointed official who formalizes the transaction for both sides — impartial by design, and not your advocate. In the US or Canada you would never buy a home without someone representing only your interests. Your KRG attorney reviews the contract, runs independent due diligence, and answers only to you.
The expensive ones: property that is still legally ejido (communal) land, unpaid liens and back taxes, sellers without clean title, missing construction permits, and contract terms that quietly shift risk onto the buyer. Each of these is caught by proper due diligence before your money is at risk.
Drafts and reviews the purchase agreement, verifies title history and encumbrances at the public registry, confirms the property is not ejido land, reviews the notario’s deed before signing, and accompanies you at closing — so nothing is signed that you don’t fully understand.
Selling With KRG
Every listing gets full production: professional photography by our listing photographer, a complete property sheet, placement on the San Miguel de Allende MLS, a featured position on our website, portal syndication, social media, and our buyer newsletter reaching an audience of US and Canadian subscribers.
Before a single photo is taken, we walk the property with you and advise on presentation — including interior-design guidance from our in-house designer — so your home photographs and shows at its very best.
Yes. We maintain an active database of qualified buyers and newsletter subscribers, primarily from the US and Canada, and we prospect from curated lead lists for homes like yours. Well-priced listings are often shown to matched buyers before the first ad ever runs.
With data: recent MLS comparables, the competing inventory on the market right now, and what international buyers are actually paying in your neighborhood. The right price at launch is the strongest marketing tool a listing has.
Sellers pay the brokerage commission plus their share of closing items. Mexico also taxes capital gains (ISR) on the sale — with significant exemptions possible for primary residences. We connect you with the right tax guidance before you list, so there are no surprises at closing.