Reference Real Estate
News, trends and tips from the real estate market
AnalisisPlaya went from 17 thousand residents in 1995 to 44 thousand in 2000: the real change happened before the internet recorded it. We reviewed twenty five years of how the town has been described, and every generation calls "the old Playa" the one it found.
Equipo Reference Real Estate
September 1, 2026
AnalisisAlmost everything published says the property acquisition tax in Quintana Roo is 2%. That figure comes from a state law still in force, but which governs only two of the eleven municipalities. Here is the real rate for each one, with its basis.
Nat Vázquez
August 24, 2026
AnalisisThe 1,500 dollar figure that circulates for setting up a fideicomiso no longer covers it. The federal permit alone costs close to 1,300. Here is the full breakdown with verified ranges, and what to ask before you sign.
Nat Vázquez
August 24, 2026
AnalisisThe decree creating the Distrito Financiero y Tecnológico de Cancún draws a polígono with a 5 km radius and grants subsidies of up to 100% on several state taxes. None of it applies automatically for being nearby. Here is what it establishes.
Equipo Reference Real Estate
August 4, 2026
AnalisisPlaya del Carmen has the lowest recorded irregularity rate in Quintana Roo, and Isla Mujeres sits at the opposite extreme. The two SEDETUS registries crossed municipality by municipality, and what it means for buyers.
Reference Real Estate Team
July 27, 2026
Mercado65% of real estate experts in Mexico say Senior Living supply is scarce. 46% say demand is sufficient. On the Riviera Maya, that gap between supply and demand is even more visible, and has direct consequences for those coming to retire here.
Nat Vázquez
July 24, 2026
Mercado38% of real estate experts in Mexico say Branded Residences are in growth mode in 2026. 45% say the market is in maturation. That's not a contradiction, it's the description of a very specific moment in a product's cycle.
Nat Vázquez
July 24, 2026
MercadoPunta Cana received more than double the Riviera Maya sargassum in June 2026, and grew 10.6%. If sargassum caused the market decline, it should be falling harder. It isn't. That changes the conversation for anyone evaluating a purchase here.
Nat Vázquez
July 23, 2026
MercadoThere's a buyer profile that rarely appears in real estate materials: the one who comes to live. For that buyer, Playa del Carmen in 2026 has very solid arguments. Here they are.
Nat Vázquez
July 20, 2026
AnalisisIn 1992 Málaga inaugurated a technology park with 8 companies and 130 employees. Thirty years later it has 700 companies and 29,000 employees. And unaffordable housing is today its number one political problem. Success story or case study?
Reference Real Estate Team
July 14, 2026
InversionThe question isn't which one is better. It's which one corresponds to what you're actually looking for, with what time horizon and with what risk tolerance. After nine years in the market, this is what I explain to every client.
Nat Vázquez
July 5, 2026
LegalMost buyers sign a presale without having seen these documents. Not because they don't exist, but because nobody told them they needed to ask for them. Here are the seven.
Nat Vázquez
June 28, 2026
MercadoThe Riviera Maya in 2026 is not a single market. Playacar is up 9-10%. Puerto Morelos is up 8-9%. Other areas are on pause. The data tells you exactly where you stand depending on where you buy.
Nat Vázquez
June 27, 2026
AnalisisIn every business and government meeting on the Riviera Maya, the same word appears: growth. Nobody asks what for. Nobody asks at what cost. We've been here nine years and we believe that question can no longer wait.
Reference Real Estate Team
June 22, 2026
InversionThe short answer is yes. The useful answer is: it depends on which property, in which area, with what management and with what real costs. Here are the numbers.
Nat Vázquez
June 21, 2026
MercadoThere's no zone that's better than the others. There's a zone that makes more sense depending on who you are and what you're looking for. After nine years on the Riviera Maya, this is what I ask every client before recommending where to buy.
Nat Vázquez
June 14, 2026
DestinosMore and more people are choosing the Riviera Maya for retirement. It's not just the weather or the beach: you can live well here, with real services, an established community and a more accessible cost of living. With verified 2026 data.
Nat Vázquez
June 14, 2026
DestinosA city under 40 years old, 60% migrant population, 15,000 to 25,000 foreigners from dozens of countries and a median age of 28. Playa del Carmen has no rulebook for coexistence because no one founded it with one.
Nat Vázquez
May 24, 2026
InversionWhen an international hospitality brand puts its name on a residential project, it has a lot to lose if something goes wrong. That changes the conversation about certainty in the Riviera Maya real estate market.
Nat Vázquez
May 16, 2026
GuiasReal green fees, updated reviews and distances from Playa del Carmen. Everything you need to know about the 5 Riviera Maya golf courses in 2026.
Nat Vázquez
May 9, 2026
AnalisisThe sargassum problem isn't a lack of ideas. It's the lack of an economy that pays to remove it. Private incentives, value chains and environmental limits for the Riviera Maya.
Reference Real Estate Team
May 8, 2026
DestinosA private marina with 143 slips, a 9-hole golf course, controlled access, its own school and 1 Gbps fiber. Puerto Aventuras doesn't compete on volume — it competes on a lifestyle package that few developments in Mexico can replicate.
Nat Vázquez
April 24, 2026
Inversion700 vacation rentals. 48% occupancy. US$282 average nightly rate. US$21,800 annual revenue. Before buying in Puerto Aventuras with rental income in mind, these are the numbers you need to know.
Nat Vázquez
April 24, 2026
MercadoPuerto Morelos has 17 vertical projects. Cancún has 201. Playa del Carmen has 184. That difference tells you everything about why this area is worth watching closely in 2026.
Nat Vázquez
April 19, 2026
LegalIn the Riviera Maya it's common to sign presale contracts without your own legal counsel. Here's why that's a risk not worth taking.
Nat Vázquez
April 19, 2026
LegalThree documents most buyers never ask for that can determine whether your investment in the Riviera Maya is protected or at risk.
Nat Vázquez
April 18, 2026
LegalIn 2025 and early 2026, SEDETUS shut down 116 irregular developments in Quintana Roo. Here's how to verify a project before it's too late.
Reference Real Estate
April 15, 2026
MercadoThe data on Playa del Carmen's market in 2026 tells a useful story for any investor. Here it is, straight.
Nat Vázquez
April 13, 2026
InversionMayakoba is a layered ecosystem. Depending on your budget and goals, there's a different entry point. Here's how to think about it.
Nat Vázquez
April 12, 2026
LegalDelayed delivery on presale properties is one of the most common problems in the Riviera Maya. Here's what you can do if it happens to you.
Nat Vázquez
April 12, 2026
DestinosEight years living in Playa del Carmen have taught me that not every part of the city grows the same way. Here's what's happening neighborhood by neighborhood in 2026.
Nat Vázquez
April 2, 2026
LegalYou've been searching for months and finally found the right property in the Riviera Maya. Before you sign anything, here's what's worth doing first.
Nat Vázquez
April 2, 2026
LegalEvery week I speak with people from the US, Canada and Europe who want to buy in the Riviera Maya but have questions about the legal process. Here's how it works, step by step.
Nat Vázquez
April 2, 2026
DestinosPlaya del Carmen has a solid selection of coworking spaces for every profile. Here are our recommendations, starting with our own favorite.
Reference Real Estate
April 2, 2026
