2021 Home Guide
Want to Build
a New Home in México? It Can Be Fun But Be Prepared
- It’s a long process, and not for the faint of heart
By Jerry Jones Model: Manuel Franco Munguia Fotografía: Ashlee Werter, Nomad Family Photo Group Building a new home in Puerto Vallarta – or any foreign country is not for the faint of heart. But if you want a custom home built to your specifications, it may be the route to take. We talked to two up and coming architects - Karen Lizzette Torrejón González and Carlo Alessandro García Mejía who work with guey Studio – about the building process in Puerto Vallarta. The first step is to find land. Avoid ejido land – you’ll want land that has a deed that can be transferred. Ejido land is communal land that was originally meant for agriculture. The owner of ejido land has rights of possession over the communal land, but does not have a deed, and if he wants to sell it, he needs 22
Home Guide
the approval of the assembly of the commissary. And even if he got that permission, it’s illegal to sell to a foreigner. There is a complicated process to privatize the land but….just avoid ejido land. While you are looking for property get counseling and direction from a realtor and/or an architect to help you figure out which land fits best with your requirements. “There’s no best way to find land,” González explained. “Make your search as wide as possible, expand it to not only those properties your realtor can find, but also look at listings on social media, or just walk the streets of the neighborhood you are interested in. Some of the best deals might be found as private sales with just a sign on the property.” You will probably also want to hire a project manager – it can take as long as a year to build a house in Puerto Vallarta – and Fa l l 2 0 2 1
