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R.E. Offer to Purchase Contract


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What is the typical length, in pages, of a Real Estate Offer to Purchase contract here in Jalisco?  
Are they all pretty much the same "boiler plate" or does each R.E. Brokerage have their own style/form?  
Or..........  is the verbiage unique with each individual Offer and/or each selling agent or each price tier?  
Anyone have advice as to particular R.E. agencies contracts to steer clear of?
Thanks for any input you can provide either publicly or by P.M.

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Instead of asking which agencies to avoid, perhaps you should ask for agent recommendations... Since there is no official licensing here, it is somewhat of a crapshoot... Best advice is to go with one of the highly recommended agents/brokers..

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Contracts can be from 2 to 14 pages depending if dual column bilingual or not and how many clauses

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The key part is a good Notario.  Both the one in San Antonio and the one close to the water front in Chapala we've had excellent experience with.  Before you sign make sure you know who the Notario will be and are satisfied they are competent.  It seems to me since the buyer pays the Notario they should have final say on who they are.

We have had the very best experience with Luis Enrique in San Antonio.

 

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Agree with the comments above - just a little more detail -

- The contract will probably be sort of "boiler plate" and will often be drafted by the selling party's agent - but you can certainly provide input and pretty much anything is negotiable within reason. It should be okay but make sure you understand all the details and if you are not fluent in Spanish be sure you are confident in the person translating/explaining it whether in writing or verbally. Remember that an English translation is not enforceable so be sure you are clear how the Spanish version works.

- While not directly addressing the sales contract be sure to understand how the deed you will receive works. This is especially important if you are married in regard to survivorship, heirs, etc. Definitely the same as what you may be used to. Just ask questions - your agent and attorney will explain that and any other issues.

- In any case have it reviewed by your agent but remember that responsibility, licensing, liability, etc. for agents is vastly different than NOB. Also, agents and sellers here do not have the same level of responsibility to disclose previous problems/damage/issues as they do NOB. No matter which agent you use I would have it reviewed by an experienced attorney as suggested by all the previous responses.

- A home inspection is not a bad idea but be aware that the folks providing those services do not have the same requirements or liability as those folks do NOB. We didn't have one done but we knew a lot about the house and the folks we were buying it form.

- As the buyer you should be able to select the Notario as Maincoons says. We have also been completely happy with Luis Enrique in San Antonio for several needs including buying our house, our Mexican will, etc.

- Don't overlook getting a finquito for any existing employees to be sure you are not inheriting any responsibilities you are not aware of. Get them in writing and have them reviewed by the attorney that reviews the sales contract. Be sure to preserve those documents.

- Pay close attention to making sure that utilities are paid up to date to the extent possible and have a clear understanding about who pays for utility bills that arrive after closing. Also confirm that utilities are transferred to your name and you know more or less when to expect the next bills. A chronic problem as that you may not always receive paper bills - but of course you are still responsible for paying them on time. Our house and casita are on separate meters and we get two electric bills. Right after closing we received the bill for the casita and paid it. We didn't receive the one for the house, weren't very smart, and had the electricity turned off. Big hassle to get it turned back on but at least we could stay in the casita while we were dealing with that. Totally our oversight as newbies.

- Same for property taxes - make sure they are paid through the most recent year and that there is a clear understanding as to how costs for the current year will be allocated. Not as big an issue as NOB since taxes here are very low but it sounds you are trying to reduce the possibility of any surprises. You probably won't receive a bill for your property taxes until it is past due for the next year. Be sure you know how, when and where to pay your annual taxes and water bill.

- Select a good agent, attorney and notario and this should be pretty stress free. Don't let all these comments worry you too much. It will definitely be a different experience than real estate transactions NOB but for us it was quite painless.

- And most importantly enjoy your new home. Welcome and we hope you are as happy here as we are.

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