So, the keys are in hand and you’re officially a new homeowner in Cabo. Here’s a quick snapshot of everything, including some easily overlooked tasks, which you’ll need to keep on top moving forward.
Your Fideicomiso
As you own in ‘restricted zone’ you have a Fideicomiso. This trust has annual administrative fees owed directly to the bank which holds it. Your closing date almost always the due date for next year’s payment (while a few institutions prorate the first year fees and begin anew on January 1st). You’ll need to confirm the due to avoid late fees as you won’t receive any notice. You will need to provide the trust account number when you pay – note: this number is not recorded on your deed, there should be some receipts tucked in the back of the deed with this information. When you (or your property manager) pays the annual fee, make sure that you obtain a receipt.
Property Tax (Impuesta Predial)
Property tax is owed annually at the local municipal office. Bring your 17-digit ‘Cuenta Catastral’ which is the property tax account number associated with your property. You will not be sent a bill, so don’t wait to pay. In fact, there’s a discount for paying early in the calendar year – January nets a 20% discount, February 10%, and March 5%. Come April, your bill is due and late penalties will soon start. If you are over 60 years old and a permanent resident, you can qualify for Mexico’s INA-PAM program card which gets you a 50% discount off the standard predial rate.
Your Impuesta Predial is based upon the value of your property (Valor Catastral). Compared to the annual assessments on your other properties, the property tax in Los Cabos is very low – approximately 0.1% of the assessed value of the property at the time of sale. This is a relative bargain compared to the U.S., where Hawaii (.27%) is the lowest, Colorado (.57%) California (.79%), and Texas (1.86%) are in the middle, and Illinois (2.32%) and New Jersey (2.40% are the highest. And compared to Canada rates, Vancouver (.25%) and Toronto (.64%), Los Cabos is also a tremendous value.
The good news is that you can now pay your annual property taxes online Los Cabos Mexico Property taxes online. Go to: http://www.tesoreria.loscabos.gob.mx/pagos-y-consultas/. You can easily check the amounts owed by inputting the Clave Catastral number (found on your deed). Note that the amounts are shown in pesos. Also, if you have a storage locker (bodega) it may have a separate Clave Catastral number. You can simply pay via credit card and be sure to keep a copy of the receipts.
Utility Bills
If you live in a guard-gated community, the bills for your electric, water, tv, internet, etc. will most likely be delivered to the guard house. Even if you don’t chase down your bill, you must pay on-time or risk having services disconnected. You likely will have options to register your account online and pay via credit card. Note that you will need to use a Mexico based credit or debit card, so go get a local bank account! You can also pay some of the utilities at Oxxo for a very nominal convenience fee. Alternatively, you can always pay the bills at the local utility office.
This Cabo real estate buyers guide provides a summary of your ongoing home ownership responsibilities after your close the transaction. Questions? Contact us – we’d love to chat.