What I Tell Every Buyer After Their First Cabo Property Tour

I have walked hundreds of buyers through their first Cabo property tour. The pattern is always the same: they land Thursday afternoon, the agent picks them up Friday morning in a white Suburban, they see three or four developments by lunch, they fall in love with the one that has the best infinity pool, and they want to write an offer before dinner. Slow down. That pool is not going anywhere. Here are the ten things I tell every single buyer before they fly home.

1. Visit at Least Twice — In Different Seasons

Your first visit is probably during high season — December through April — when Cabo is at its absolute best. The weather is 75-85 degrees, the humidity is low, the sky is crystal clear, and every development looks like a magazine cover. Of course you want to buy.

But you are not buying a high-season experience. You are buying a property that exists 365 days a year. Come back in August or September. See what the development looks like when it is 100 degrees and 80% humidity. See how the pool area holds up with half the staff and a third of the owners in residence. See whether the construction noise from the next phase is audible from your terrace. That second trip will either confirm your decision or save you from the wrong one. For more on seasonal differences, see our green season guide.

2. Walk the Property at Night

Every development looks gorgeous at 10 AM when the sales team has the landscaping crew working, the pool bar is stocked, and the model unit smells like fresh flowers. Go back at 9 PM.

What does the lighting look like on the walkways? Can you see where you are stepping? Is there construction noise from a nearby highway? Can you hear the nightclub from downtown Cabo San Lucas? Is the security gate actually staffed at night, or does the guard fall asleep? These details do not show up in the brochure and they matter every single night you own the property.

3. Check the Water Source

Water in Los Cabos is not a given — it is a managed resource. Before you buy, understand where the water comes from. The four sources are:

• Municipal (OOMSAPAS): reliable in established communities but subject to pressure drops during peak demand
• Desalination: the gold standard — communities like Pedregal run their own desalination plants, giving them water independence
• Private wells: common in East Cape and Pacific Side developments — water quality and reliability vary
• Trucked (pipa): the least desirable option, where water trucks fill your cistern on a schedule — adds cost and creates supply uncertainty

Ask the developer directly: what is the water source, what is the backup, and what has been the service history during summer peak demand? For the full picture, see our water infrastructure guide.

4. Ask About the HOA Reserve Fund

Every gated community in Cabo has an HOA. Most buyers ask about the monthly fee — that is the wrong question. The right question is: what is in the reserve fund?

A healthy HOA has 6-12 months of operating expenses in reserve, plus a capital improvement fund for major projects (pool resurfacing, road repaving, elevator replacement). An underfunded reserve means one of two things: either a special assessment is coming (a one-time charge of $5,000-$50,000+ per owner), or maintenance is being deferred and the common areas will deteriorate. Get the actual financial statements — not a verbal summary from the sales team. For a detailed breakdown, see our HOA reserve fund guide.

5. Talk to Current Owners — Not the Ones the Developer Introduces You To

Developers will happily introduce you to their happiest owners. Those testimonials are real, but they are curated. Find owners on your own. Walk through the community, knock on a door, introduce yourself at the pool, or ask on expat Facebook groups (Los Cabos Expats, Cabo Friends, Cabo San Lucas Relocation Group). Ask about:

• HOA responsiveness to maintenance requests
• Actual rental income versus what the developer projected
• Construction quality issues that emerged after the warranty period
• Noise, traffic, or development-phase disruption
• Whether they would buy the same unit again

The answers will either reinforce the developer's pitch or expose gaps the sales team does not mention.

6. Drive the Commute Yourself

Cabo agents love to say "it is just 20 minutes from the airport" or "right on the Corridor." During high season, the Tourist Corridor between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo can take 45 minutes to an hour during peak hours. If you are buying in Palmilla and your favorite restaurants are in downtown Cabo San Lucas, drive that route at 7 PM on a Friday. If you are buying on the Pacific Side near Todos Santos, drive to the nearest hospital. Know your commute before you buy.

7. Ignore the Model Unit Staging

Model units are designed to make you fall in love. The furniture is perfect, the art is curated, the kitchen has fresh fruit on the counter, and the bathroom has rolled towels that smell like eucalyptus. You are not buying the furniture — you are buying the structure.

Look at delivered, occupied units if possible. Check the tile grout. Open the cabinets. Turn on the faucets and check water pressure. Flush the toilet. Look at the sliding door tracks. Test the air conditioning. These are the things you will live with daily. The staged model unit is a fantasy; the delivered unit is reality.

8. Get the HOA Financials in Writing

I am repeating this because it is that important. Do not accept "the HOA is well-funded" as an answer. Ask for:

• The last two years of financial statements (income statement and balance sheet)
• The current reserve fund balance
• Any planned special assessments
• The delinquency rate (what percentage of owners are behind on dues)
• The maintenance and capital improvement budget for the next 12 months

If the HOA cannot or will not provide these documents, that itself is a red flag. A well-run community is transparent about its finances. Our HOA fees guide breaks down what to expect by development.

9. Understand the Fideicomiso Before You Sign Anything

The fideicomiso is the bank trust that allows foreigners to own coastal property in Mexico. It is not complicated, but it is different from US ownership. You are the beneficiary, a Mexican bank is the trustee, and the trust gives you full ownership rights — buy, sell, rent, remodel, bequeath. The setup costs $2,000-$3,500, annual fees run $500-$800, and the trust lasts 50 years (renewable). Make sure you understand this before you sign a purchase agreement, and make sure the property's existing fideicomiso (if it is a resale) is current and in good standing.

10. Do Not Buy on Day One

The most important advice I give: do not write an offer on your first day. Sleep on it. Fly home. Look at the photos. Review the numbers without the margarita buzz and the sunset glow. Talk to your accountant. If the property is right for you on Tuesday morning at your desk in Denver, it is right for you. If it only felt right on Saturday evening on the developer's terrace with a cocktail in your hand — that is not a real estate decision, that is a vacation emotion.

Any agent or developer who tells you "this deal is only available today" is lying. There is always another unit. There is always another development. The one exception is a genuinely unique resale at a below-market price — those do move fast — but even then, you have 24-48 hours to think before the opportunity actually evaporates.

For the practical mechanics of the buying process once you are ready, see our escrow and closing guide, our closing costs breakdown, and our guide to choosing the right agent.