Questions buyers, sellers and agents ask us.

We coordinate the closing from accepted offer to recorded deed: diligence, the bank trust and permit, the notary, taxes, the closing statement, funds flow instructions and post-closing registrations.

We are not a Notario Público, a bank trustee or an escrow agent. The deed is executed before a notary, title is held by the trustee where a trust is used, and funds are held by a licensed third-party escrow provider. Cierra never receives or holds client funds.

Each file has a named lawyer who owns it from opening to recorded deed. You can message them from your portal, and their direct contact details are shown on your file.

Our fee is quoted in writing when your file opens, before you commit to anything. Third-party costs — taxes, notary, trustee, permit, appraisal, registry and escrow — are shown separately on the closing statement.

Yes. Our team and platform work in both languages. Where a document must be signed in Spanish, the notary provides for translation as the law requires, and we walk you through the content beforehand.

Access is by invitation only. When your file opens, you receive an email invitation to set up your login with two-step verification. If you are a party to a transaction and have not received it, contact the lawyer on your file.

Buyers and sellers see their own file: status, their to-do list, key dates, their side of the closing statement and their documents. Agents see status, dates and pending items for the files they are on, but not clients' identification, source-of-funds or tax records. The Cierra team sees the whole file.

Yes — that is what the portal is for. Status, requests, approvals and documents are all online, and you can sign by power of attorney if you cannot attend the signing in person.

Yes. Because Los Cabos is within the restricted zone, foreign individuals hold residential property through a bank trust (fideicomiso), with full rights of use, lease, sale and inheritance. A Mexican company may also acquire property for non-residential purposes. See For buyers.

It depends on the structure and on the authorities involved — the SRE permit, the trustee, registry certificates and the appraisal. We give you a timeline with the checklist when your file opens and update it in your portal as each item comes in.

No. You can grant a power of attorney before a Mexican consulate, or before a notary abroad with an apostille, and have your attorney-in-fact sign. We send you the approved wording so it is accepted by the notary.

Real estate transactions are a regulated activity under Mexico's anti-money-laundering law. The notary must identify the parties and, in many cases, the origin of the funds, and report certain transactions. It is routine and applies to every buyer.

It depends on your tax residency, your documented costs and whether an exemption applies. The notary calculates and withholds the tax at signing. We model the scenarios with you in advance. See For sellers.

The trustee must participate in the sale, and trustee fees must be current. The transfer is usually an assignment of your beneficiary rights or a transfer into the buyer's trust. We coordinate the trustee from day one.

With a licensed third-party escrow provider under written escrow instructions agreed by the parties. Funds are released only as those instructions provide, normally at signing before the notary.

Do not send money. Cierra never sends or changes wiring instructions by email. Call the lawyer on your file using the number in your portal and read our wire-fraud notice.