After Signing a Pre-Construction Contract in Mexico: What Happens Next? | Episode 18

Signing a pre-construction contract in Mexico is not the finish line, it's the starting point of a period that must be actively managed. Between the contract and the moment legal title transfers, buyers face a series of decisions, deadlines, and documentation requirements that can determine whether the transaction closes cleanly or unravels. In Episode 18 of *The Foreign Buyer's Guide to Mexico*, Nancy Valiente, Real Estate Broker and Attorney, walks through seven steps every buyer should be executing during the pre-construction period: **1. Create a transaction roadmap.** Know every milestone, deadline, and responsible party before anything else moves. **2. Control your payments and financial evidence.** Every transfer needs documentation. Waiting for the developer to organize your payment history is not a strategy. **3. Monitor construction and project changes in writing.** Verbal updates don't protect you. Changes to materials, timelines, or plans should be captured in writing. **4. Update the legal and property review.** The legal status of a project can shift during construction. A review done at signing may not reflect current conditions. **5. Prepare the ownership structure or bank trust.** Whether you're purchasing through a fideicomiso (bank trust) or a Mexican corporation, the structure needs to be in place before closing, not scrambled together at the last minute. **6. Review the closing numbers and transfer instructions.** Closing costs in Mexico include notary fees, acquisition tax, and other charges. Verify the final figures and confirm exactly where funds should go. **7. Separate inspection, possession, and legal title.** These are three distinct events. Receiving keys does not mean you hold title. Understanding the difference matters. Nancy also covers the five conditions that must be verified before authorizing the final payment, because waiting for the developer to announce the property is ready is not a closing strategy. This episode is part of a continuing series for home buyers purchasing in Puerto Vallarta, Bahía de Banderas, and across Mexico. Episode 19 covers closing day itself: who participates, what gets signed, when money moves, and which documents you should walk away with. If you're in the pre-construction or delivery phase and need guidance on the contract, inspection, or closing process, reach out to Nancy before transferring any final funds.