How to buy in Texas from Mexico.

Yes. U.S. law does not require citizenship or residency to own real estate, and foreign nationals buy in their own name or through a company. Since September 1, 2025, a Texas law (SB 17) restricts purchases by governments, companies and certain individuals tied to countries the U.S. flags as national-security risks (currently understood to be China, Iran, North Korea and Russia) or that the governor designates. Mexico is not one of them, and the law does not apply to U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Citizenship matters, not only where you live: the law also covers citizens of those countries who live outside the U.S., for example in Mexico, unless they have become citizens of the country where they live. If your situation is unusual, confirm it with a Texas real estate attorney.

It depends on liability, taxes, estate planning and financing, so decide before you sign the contract, because the buyer named in it matters. A U.S. LLC owned by one foreign person is usually ignored for income tax, but it must still file Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 every year, and the IRS penalty for not filing is $25,000. A Texas LLC also has annual franchise tax reports even when no tax is due. Plan the structure with a cross-border CPA and an attorney.

Since January 1, 2026, Texas law requires a written agreement between the agent and the buyer before the agent shows you residential property (or, if nothing is shown, before an offer is presented for you). It must state the services, whether the agent represents you, whether it is exclusive or non-exclusive, its end date, and the amount or rate the broker will be paid and how that amount is determined, and it must say in conspicuous language that broker compensation is not set by law and is fully negotiable. An agreement only to show property cannot be exclusive and lasts 14 days at most. You will also receive the state form Information About Brokerage Services, which explains how representation works in Texas.

Yes. Under the federal AFIDA law, a foreign person who acquires or transfers an interest in U.S. agricultural land must report it to the USDA within 90 days, on Form FSA-153 or through the USDA online portal. Land used for farming, ranching or timber counts, except tracts of 10 acres or less in total that produce no more than $1,000 a year in sales. The penalty for not reporting can reach 25% of the land’s fair market value. In June 2026 USDA proposed removing that small-tract exemption and widening what counts as agricultural land, so confirm the rule in force before you buy land.

Often, yes: some U.S. lenders offer foreign-national loans. Expect a larger down payment than a standard mortgage (published lender guides cite roughly 25% to 50%), a higher interest rate, and documents such as your passport, bank statements and proof of income. Terms vary a lot by lender, so compare at least two written offers. Ricardo is not a lender.

Almost half do. In the National Association of REALTORS® report for April 2025 to March 2026, 48% of foreign buyers paid all cash, compared with 28% of all buyers. A cash offer is simpler and usually closes faster. Plan the transfer from Mexico ahead of time and always confirm the title company’s wiring instructions by phone.

A loan for rental property that is approved mainly on the property’s expected rent instead of your personal income. The lender divides the rent by the monthly payment (principal, interest, taxes, insurance and HOA); a ratio above 1.00 means the rent covers the payment. Ask each lender whether it offers DSCR loans to foreign nationals: availability, down payment and rate vary.

With a loan: the down payment plus closing costs, and any reserves your lender asks you to keep in the bank. Our calculator assumes 30% down for foreign buyers and closing costs of about 3% of the price, but those are editable assumptions, not quotes. Your lender’s written estimate and the title company’s closing statement give the real figure.

FIRPTA can matter to you twice. When you buy from a seller who is a foreign person, you, the buyer, are generally the withholding agent: at closing the seller normally certifies that they are not a foreign person, or the tax is withheld from the sale proceeds, usually through the title company. If the seller is foreign and no one withholds, the IRS can hold the buyer liable for the tax. When you sell, the roles reverse: your buyer generally must withhold 15% of the amount realized and send it to the IRS within 20 days. If the buyer will live in the home, withholding is 0% up to $300,000 and 10% up to $1,000,000. The withholding is a prepayment, not the final tax: you file a U.S. return to settle it, and you can ask the IRS for a withholding certificate (Form 8288-B) to reduce it.

By default the U.S. taxes a nonresident’s rent at 30% of the gross amount, with no deductions, usually withheld by the tenant or property manager. You can instead elect to treat the rent as effectively connected income: you give the payer Form W-8ECI, file Form 1040-NR every year and pay graduated rates on net income after expenses. The return must be filed on time (within 16 months of its due date) to keep the deductions. Ask a CPA which option fits you.

Not to buy, but you will need one to file a U.S. tax return, for example Form 1040-NR for your rental income or after a sale. An ITIN is a 9-digit IRS number for people who are not eligible for a Social Security number. You apply with Form W-7, normally together with the tax return. The IRS says to allow 7 weeks, or 9 to 11 weeks in tax season or when applying from abroad.

No. The Texas Constitution prohibits a personal income tax, so there is no state tax on your rental income or gains; federal taxes still apply. Texas funds local services mainly through property taxes. If you are a tax resident of Mexico, Mexican law taxes residents on income from any country, so your U.S. income may also have to be reported in Mexico. The U.S. and Mexico have an income tax treaty; a CPA who works in both countries can coordinate the two returns.

Texas has no state property tax: the county, the city, the school district and other local units each set a rate. The Cameron Appraisal District values every property as of January 1, and the bill is generally due by January 31 of the following year, with penalties and interest from February 1. Homestead exemptions apply only to the owner’s principal residence, so an investment property usually pays the full rate. You can check any property’s value and tax units on the appraisal district’s website.

Often, yes. Texas law allows an online notary commissioned in Texas to notarize your signature by video even when you are outside the state, and a power of attorney is another option. Whether a remote closing works for your purchase depends on the title company and, if you finance, on the lender, so ask both at the start, not the week of closing.

Yes, if the title company (and the lender, if any) approves the document before closing. A power of attorney signed in Mexico generally needs an apostille to be used in Texas; both countries are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention. Send a draft to the title company early so they can confirm the wording, and have it reviewed by an attorney.

Send funds only to the escrow account of the title company named in your contract, and only after confirming the wiring instructions by phone, using a number you verified on your own, not one from an email. Ricardo will never ask you to send money over WhatsApp or email. Wire fraud often starts with an email that looks real and changes the account at the last minute.

Yes. Ricardo can walk you through a property on a video call, and you can hire a licensed inspector during the option period; in Texas, TREC licenses real estate inspectors. You get the MLS data, the appraisal district record and the inspection report in writing. If you can, one visit before closing helps, but it is not required.

Usually a property manager. In Texas, someone who shows or leases your property for pay generally needs a real estate license from TREC, so ask for the license number and a written management agreement that covers fees, repairs, rent deposits and reports. You can check any license on the TREC website.

A homeowner’s or landlord policy, and two coverages people often miss. Wind and hail: Cameron County is in the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association’s coverage area, and TWIA covers wind and hail only, generally when a private insurer has turned you down. Flood: it is a separate policy; check the property on FEMA’s flood maps. Get quotes before your option period ends, because they affect your numbers.

Yes, within the city’s rules. Short-term rentals must be registered with the City of South Padre Island and renewed, and owners remit hotel occupancy tax to the city every month. The state hotel tax of 6% also applies to stays of 29 days or less; if you book through a platform that collects it, the platform remits the state portion. The city can also suspend or revoke a short-term rental license after repeated violations by guests, so ask how the building and the property manager handle complaints. Check the condo or HOA rules too: some limit rentals.