Question re: real estate down payment

[terriolinda]

Hi. My husband and I have a real estate company across from VIPS restaurant (Guanajuato Bienes Raices). Normally the deposit is around 5%-10%, depending on what you can agree on with the seller. Escrow has been non-existent in the past - normally, in Mexico, the seller keeps the deposit which is always nerve-wracking and risky. We've started the practice of holding the deposit ourselves whenever we can get the seller to agree and, in most cases, they have been understanding and open to it. Closing is normally very quick, so it's not a big problem. It's my understanding that notarios are not legally permitted to hold money. Hope that's helpful. Good luck!