About Mexico Shores
Why Mexico Shores exists, what it covers, how its guides on moving to and buying property in Mexico are researched, and the practices that keep them trustworthy.
Mexico Shores began with a stack of questions I couldn’t stop thinking about. For years I worked as an office coordinator at a relocation services company, helping families organize international moves, and some of those families were heading to Mexico. They asked the same things again and again: whether they could own a home near the coast, how much income a consulate wanted to see, which neighborhood would suit them, and whether the town they loved on vacation would still feel right after a year. This site is my attempt to answer those questions clearly, in order, and without pretending the answers are simpler than they are.
Our mission
The goal of Mexico Shores is to help Americans make a move to Mexico with fewer surprises. That means explaining how things work in plain language, showing where the real costs and risks are, and making it obvious when you need a professional to confirm the details. A good guide should leave you calmer and better prepared, not rushed into a decision.
What we cover
The site focuses on relocation: choosing where to live, understanding the cost of living, judging safety city by city, and planning a retirement in Mexico. It also covers the practical questions that come with a move, including temporary and permanent residency, foreign ownership through a fideicomiso, ejido land, title insurance and escrow, property and capital gains taxes, inherited property, timeshares, financing and regional real estate markets. We don’t cover tourism itineraries, and we don’t broker, sell or list property.
How the guides are made
I start from the questions readers ask and research them against the sources that actually set the rules, such as Mexican consulates, the National Migration Institute, Mexico’s tax authority, federal law and the US State Department. I note when figures were checked, explain what they depend on, and say directly when something varies by city, consulate or notary. The process and trust cards on this page go into more detail.
What this site is not
I am not a lawyer, notario, tax adviser, immigration consultant or real estate agent, and nothing here is legal, tax, immigration, financial, brokerage or security advice. The site carries no ads, affiliate links or sponsorships, so no company pays to appear on it. If you spot something that’s wrong or out of date, please tell me through the Contact page so I can check it and fix it.
Who writes here
Laura Bennett
I'm Laura Bennett, and I was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, in a house where the kitchen calendar was always covered in my mother's handwriting. My family is English and Scottish American on both sides, and the most treasured thing I inherited is a recipe card for my grandmother's shortbread, with her notes squeezed into every margin. I think that card explains a lot about me, because I have been writing notes in margins ever since.
For years I worked as an office coordinator at a US relocation services company. My job was to keep international moves organized for families: housing searches, document lists, shipping dates, school questions and all the small logistics of settling into a new place. I was never the person making the big decisions. I was the person at the desk making sure nobody forgot the apostille, the lease addendum or the date a visa appointment had to be booked.
That work taught me that most moving stress doesn't come from the big choice of where to go. It comes from the dozen small things nobody explained clearly, which pile up at the worst possible moment. Some of the families I helped were heading to Mexico, and their questions stayed with me long after the files were closed. They asked whether they could really own a house near the beach, what a fideicomiso was, how much money a consulate wanted to see, and whether the city they had fallen for on vacation would feel the same on an ordinary Tuesday.
Mexico Shores is where I try to answer those questions the way I wish someone had answered them for those families. I am quiet and methodical by nature, and I double-check everything, so I read the official sources more than once, keep track of when rules and figures change, and say plainly when something is uncertain. I am not a lawyer, notario, tax adviser, immigration consultant or real estate agent, and I don't sell property or services. What I can do is lay out the questions in a sensible order, so that when you sit down with the professionals who can confirm the details, you already know what to ask.
When I'm not writing, I'm usually walking a trail in the Blue Ridge, wandering a busy farmers market with a canvas bag and no plan, or working slowly through my Spanish flashcards. I still bake my grandmother's shortbread every December, and yes, I still follow her margin notes exactly.
More about Laura Bennett →How we work
Start with the questions people actually ask
Each guide begins with a real question Americans run into when they think about Mexico, such as whether they can own a house near the coast, what a consulate wants to see for residency, or how much a month in Merida really costs. I write the question down plainly, list the smaller questions hidden inside it, and arrange them in the order you are likely to face them. That way a guide follows your decision from beginning to end instead of jumping around.
Go to official and primary sources first
For rules and requirements, I start with the source that sets them: the Mexican consulates and the National Migration Institute (INM) for residency, Mexico's tax authority for taxes, the constitution and federal law for foreign ownership, and the US State Department for travel advisories. When sources disagree or a consulate applies a rule its own way, I say so instead of choosing the easiest answer. News reports and community discussions help me see what readers are worried about, but I don't treat them as proof that a rule exists.
Label figures, dates and uncertainty
Prices, rents, exchange rates and financial thresholds change, sometimes every year, so I note when a figure was checked and what it depends on. I explain how a number is built, for example in pesos, in minimum-wage multiples or in US dollars at a given exchange rate, so you can recheck it yourself. When something is uncertain or varies by city, consulate or notary, the guide tells you that directly.
Review, update and correct
Before a guide is published, I go back over every requirement, figure and link against its source. After publication, I revisit guides when rules, advisories or market conditions shift, and I add an update note when a change affects what you should do. If a reader points out an error, I check it against the source and correct the guide openly.
What you can expect
General information, not professional advice
Mexico Shores explains how things generally work, but it can't replace a Mexican notario público, a licensed attorney, a qualified tax professional or the consulate that will review your application. Your citizenship, income, family situation and the specific property all change the answer. Each guide points out the moments when you should stop and confirm the details with a professional.
No ads, affiliate links or sponsors
The site does not run advertising, does not belong to affiliate programs and does not accept sponsorships. No company pays to be mentioned, ranked or reviewed, and suggestions from readers or businesses never buy a place on a page. If that ever changes, the Disclosure page will be updated before any paid relationship appears on the site.
Honest about what we have and haven't done
I don't claim to have bought property, closed through a fideicomiso, held a residency card or tested a service unless that is actually true, and I don't present my background as a credential. Reviews and roundups explain what was examined, such as published terms, official records and documented features, and what was not. When a guide relies on what other people report, it says so.
Safety and risk taken seriously
Questions about safety, land title, ejido property, timeshares and taxes involve real money and real risk, so I don't sugarcoat them. Safety guides point you to the current US State Department advisory for each state rather than relying on reputation or old anecdotes. Property guides spell out the warning signs to raise with your notary and attorney before you sign or send money.