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The Fideicomiso or Mexican Trust
In 1972, the government of Mexico initiated a legal process of entitlement to protect foreigners known as the fideicomiso. Simply put the Mexican Government issues a permit to the federally chartered bank of your choice.
This allows the bank to hold title to the real estate as the "Trustee" for you the “Beneficiary”. The law authorizes Mexican banking institutions as trustees to takes instructions only from the beneficiary of the trust (the foreign purchaser).
The beneficiary has the right to occupy, develop, improve, mortgage, borrow against and enjoy the property. The beneficiary may also will or sell the rights and instruct the trustee to transfer title to a qualified owner.
When first established, the term of a Bank Trust was for 30 years only. In 1989 it was made renewable for another 30, and in 1993 the term was extended to 50 years with a renewable period of 50 years. The renewal must be applied for within this 50-year term.
This renewal process can be continued indefinitely, providing for long term control of the asset Thousands of people from countries around the world own real estate in many parts of Mexico. It has been estimated that 300,000 to 500,000 Americans and Canadians spend over six months each year in Mexico, many of which own real estate.
About Mexico
Officially United Mexican States, republic (1995 est. pop. 93,986,000), 753,665 sq mi (1,952,500 sq km), S North America. It borders on the United States in the north, on the Gulf of Mexico (including its arm, the Bay of Campeche) and the Caribbean Sea in the  east, on Belize and Guatemala in the southeast, and on the Pacific Ocean in the south and west. Mexico is divided into 31 states and the Federal District, which includes most of the country's capital and largest city, Mexico City.
Land
Most of Mexico is highland or mountainous and less than 15% of the land is arable; about 25% of the country is forested. Most of the Yucatán peninsula and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the southeast is lowland, and there are low-lying strips of land along the  Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf of California
In the south the deserts yield to the broad, shallow lakes of a region, comprising the Valley of Mexico, known as the Anáhuac and famous for its rich cultural heritage. South of the Anáhuac, which includes Mexico City, is a chain of extinct volcanoes, including Citlaltépetl , or Orizaba (18,700 ft/5,700 m, the highest point in Mexico), Popocatépetl , and Iztaccihuatl . To the south are jumbled masses of mountains and the Sierra Madre del Sur.
People
The great majority of the population are of mixed Spanish and indigenous descent and speak Spanish, the official language, as their first language. Various Mayan dialects are also spoken. Since 1920 the population of Mexico has had a very high rate of growth, almost entirely the result of natural increase; from 1940 to 1990 the population grew from 19.6 million to 81.1 million.
*Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Copyright (c) 2003.
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