Buying a home in a foreign country can be harrowing. Sure, real estate generally costs less here than in the US and Canada, but it's still expensive. Mexican construction, laws, and customs are so very different from Canada and the US, that the risk often feels magnified to gringos Even Mexicans buying real estate in their own country aren't always familiar enough with construction to know just what they're getting themselves in to.

You can hire a lawyer to protect you legally, but until now, there were very few people in Mexico with the necessary experience to perform a proper home inspections.

Are you thinking about buying a home here? Maybe some income property? What kind of shape is the roof in? What do the cracks in the walls mean? The electrical system is different, but is it…safe? What about the air conditioning system? The windows? And why is the water heater outside?

A proper home inspection will teach you about the different components of your home; how they work, how they interact, and how to know when they’ve failed and need to be replaced. The report should clearly list the defects as well as the other things you’ll need to know about. Your inspector should also be available for follow-up consultation by email and telephone after you buy your home.

Any investment carries a certain amount of risk, but a home inspection can reduce the associated anxiety by teaching you what you need to know about your new home. The better you understand it, the more you will enjoy it.

Not long ago, it was difficult for foreigners to buy property here. A few years ago, mortgages were nearly unheard of. Ralph Nader once called home inspections the “single greatest consumer value in America, bar none”. Now that value is available in Mexico, too. Mexican real estate is changing to make it easier for people to own property here.

Casas del Mar performs home and condo inspections for people who want to know more about the homes they’re buying. Send your questions to: info@casasdelmarpv.com.