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Yes. Tulum lies within Mexico’s “restricted zone”, the 50 km strip along the coasts where a foreigner cannot hold property directly in their own name. Mexican law provides the fideicomiso for this: with a permit from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), a Mexican bank appears on the title and you remain the sole beneficiary. You live in, rent out, renovate, sell and pass on your property freely, like any other owner.

A fideicomiso is a trust agreement in which a Mexican bank (most often Banco del Bajío, Mifel or Scotiabank) appears on the title with a purely administrative role, while you are the beneficiary. It is established for 50 years and renews indefinitely. A single fideicomiso can be held by up to 5 individuals. For succession, each beneficiary (fideicomisario) names a substitute beneficiary (fideicomisario sustituto), who inherits the fideicomiso upon death. In 2026, budget for the SRE permit at 21,650 pesos, about 450 USD in opening fees and 550 USD for the first year, then about 550 USD per year.

A fideicomiso suits a home or a rental villa: it is simpler and much cheaper year to year. A Mexican company (S. de R.L. or S.A. de C.V.) becomes worthwhile from 2 or 3 properties, because a fideicomiso is paid per property, or if you invest from an existing French company. Setting one up costs between 30,000 and 40,000 pesos, then about 3,000 pesos a month in accounting for the mandatory monthly filings. If in doubt, the fideicomiso remains the default route.

In Mexico, costs are borne by the buyer. For the transfer of ownership (ISABI acquisition tax of 4% in Tulum, notary public fees and registration fees at the Public Registry of Property), budget 7 to 8% of the transaction value. A foreign buyer adds fideicomiso costs, then the annual property tax. For a condo, also plan for homeowners’ association fees (HOA).

Property tax (predial) is very moderate in Tulum: 0.17% of the cadastral value for a built property and 0.5% for land. The cadastral value is updated to the deed value at each transaction, so in practice it is based on your purchase price in pesos.

According to Harmony Real Estate, well-located, well-managed high-end villas deliver net yields of around 7 to 9% in 2026, compared with sometimes 3 to 5% for small condos in saturated areas. Be wary of promises of 10 to 14% net: these are most often theoretical gross yields, calculated without management (20 to 30% of gross revenue for full-service management), platform commissions, vacancy and costs.

Three points to check before signing: the title deed (escritura), registered at the Public Registry of Property in the real seller’s name; the lien-free certificate (certificado de gravamen), which proves the property is free of debts, mortgages and seizures; and the tax situation, with property tax up to date. For land, we also check its cadastral plans. Nearly all problems come from a file that was not properly checked upfront.

The full process usually takes 60 to 90 days, and sometimes longer for complex files. It is best to plan for it in your calendar.

Yes, and Harmony Real Estate considers it the most relevant strategy in 2026: buy a well-located plot with a clean title, then build a high-end villa there for rental. This lets you control quality and cost, and target the high-end villa segment, which is more resilient than that of small pre-sale condos. Harmony Construction offers turnkey construction solutions and villa models in Tulum.

Harmony Real Estate is a real estate agency in Tulum (Quintana Roo, Mexico), born in 2009 as a developer and land urbanizer. It has sold more than 1,000 plots and today advises buyers on resale, villas and construction. The team serves clients in Spanish, English and French.