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Sellers Closing Fees

BY CONNIE BEZEREDI
Gringo Gazette
November 9, 2019

It's important for sellers to know upfront before entering into a Real Estate listing contract what the fees will be that will affect the net of the sale that you are going to put into your pocket. Don't wait until you receive a buyer’s contract or get surprised at the closing table when you receive your seller's statement.

Just like when you purchased your property, the buyer will be paying the closing costs and transfer fees for transferring your title into their name.

As the seller, you will be responsible to have your Mexican Property Taxes, Home Owners/Strata Dues paid to the date of close.

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You can request to have your utilities pro-rated if they have been pre-paid or have your electricity and water meters read on the date of close so that from that date it becomes the responsibility of the buyer. Your annual trust fee for your title is one fee that cannot be prorated. If your annual trust fee is due in November and you close your sale in December you will still be responsible to pay the annual fee for one year regardless. The buyer will also be paying one year of trust fees upfront in their closing costs.

Capital Gains tax also applies to Mexico. It will be calculated on any gain you make on the sale of your property. It will be calculated in pesos at the exchange rate of the day when you purchased your property and at the exchange rate of the day when you sell your property. Some deductions can be calculated to bring the gain down. Such as your Real Estate Commission, you also will receive an inflationary credit for each year of ownership of your property, original Factura's for improvements can also be submitted for consideration. It may be possible to have a tax strategy prepared in Mexico to further reduce your tax obligation. After you close your sale talk to your accountant North of the Border for your US or Canadian Income Taxes. US Citizens receive a tax credit for Capital Gains Tax paid in Mexico.

Lastly, you will be paying the Real Estate commission that you agree to in the listing contract with your Realtor and Broker in Mexico plus IVA Tax.

The closing time frame once you have an accepted sales contract typically is averaging 60 days. Throw in some Mexican Financing on the part of the buyer and the time frame may average 180 days. If your title is held by a trust bank such as HSBC your closing time frame may average 7 months or up to 1 year to process the cancellation of your trust and the transfer of the property to the buyer under a new trust bank.  There are also additional fees to the seller related to the cancellation of the HSBC trust, expect to pay additional sellers fees in the range of $3,600.00 for this process, ask me for more details. Good to know when you can expect your Dinero!

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