Skip to content
deveras.
List

Buying · Playa del Carmen

Buying pre-construction

You pay today for something that doesn't exist yet. The discount is only worth it if the developer, the land and the permits survive a close look.

Last reviewed: Oct 14, 2026 · General information, not legal advice: check it with a notary.

How you pay

  • Deposit, down payment, delivery

    Listings in Playa and Tulum show 30/70, 50/50 or 90/10 plans: a share at signing, sometimes installments during the build, the rest at delivery.[1]

  • The discount

    One broker quotes 20 to 35% below the finished price. That's your pay for the risk: if the build is late or collapses, the discount won't protect you.[2]

  • The trust doesn't guard your money

    The restricted-zone trust gives you title at closing; it doesn't protect what you pay during the build. Ask whether a guarantee trust receives payments and releases them as work progresses.[3][4]

  • 5 days to change your mind

    The NOM-247 gives you 5 working days after signing to cancel; your money comes back within 5 to 15 working days.[4]

What Profeco requires

  • Before you sign

    The developer must show you the registered land title, the licenses (land use, construction), the plans and the full construction project.[4]

  • Registered contract

    Their standard contract must be registered with Profeco. Look it up in the public registry of adhesion contracts and compare it with the one you're given.[4][5]

  • Date and penalty

    The contract sets a delivery date and conditions, a late-delivery penalty, and states any mortgage or trust guarantee the developer provides.[4]

  • Minimum warranties

    5 years on the structure, 3 on waterproofing and 1 on everything else, from delivery.[4]

  • Does it apply to foreigners?

    The rule says nothing about nationality: it protects buying a home from a developer. If you buy purely as a vacation rental, that could be argued: ask a lawyer.[4]

Permits and environment

  • City and state

    Ask for the land-use license, the construction license and the state's urban consistency certificate (Sedetus).[6]

  • The Sedetus list

    In August 2026 the state had flagged 123 developments for missing permits, mostly in Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Cancún. Check before you reserve.[6][7]

  • Environmental review (MIA)

    Projects that need federal environmental review appear in Semarnat's Gaceta Ecológica with a file number. Ask for the decision, not just the file number.[8]

  • Tulum

    In 2025 Profepa shut down and fined a Tankah condo built without permits over a million pesos, and the urban plan was approved in 2024 amid criticism. Check twice.[9][10]

The developer

  • Profeco's Buró Comercial

    Profeco publishes complaints, settlements and sanctions for each business (data to late 2025).[11]

  • Delays

    Most complaints to Sedetus are about late delivery. Some cases are extreme: a 97,000 USD condo paid in full, promised for 2020 and still not delivered in 2026.[7][12]

  • The land

    Deeded to the developer and free of mortgages, or released unit by unit. At Oceana it wasn't, and nobody could get a deed.[4][13]

  • A receipt for every payment

    The NOM requires a receipt for each advance. Pay the company that signs the contract, never a middleman, never cash.[4]

Frequently asked questions

Is buying pre-construction in Playa del Carmen safe?
It can be if you check the land title, the licenses, the contract's Profeco registration and what the developer has already delivered. Without that, the discount doesn't cover the risk.
Can I cancel a pre-sale purchase?
The NOM-247 gives you 5 working days after signing to cancel; after that, the contract's terms apply.
What warranty does a new condo have?
At least 5 years on the structure, 3 on waterproofing and 1 on everything else, from delivery.

Sources

  1. 1.Pincali. Departamento en preventa, Mirador Tulum Centro (anuncio)
  2. 2.Maya Ocean. Tulum new developments
  3. 3.The Latinvestor. Is a Tulum presale condo safe?
  4. 4.Secretaría de Economía. NOM-247-SE-2021: información comercial, publicidad y contratos de inmuebles para casa habitación
  5. 5.IDC Online. Cómo verificar si un contrato de adhesión está registrado en Profeco (19 ago. 2026)
  6. 6.Ruptura 360. Desarrollos inmobiliarios irregulares en Quintana Roo (2026)
  7. 7.Riviera Maya News. Quintana Roo closes 123 real estate developments over missing permits (7 ago. 2026)
  8. 8.Por Esto. Semarnat somete a consulta proyectos en Quintana Roo (9 ago. 2026)
  9. 9.Riviera Maya News. Tulum development shut down and fined over a million pesos (16 feb. 2025)
  10. 10.El Universal. Aprobación del PDU de Tulum, en medio de irregularidades (19 sep. 2024)
  11. 11.Uno TV. Profeco explica cómo consultar el Buró Comercial antes de comprar
  12. 12.Por Esto. Comprador sin propiedad pese a pagar 97 mil dólares (22 abr. 2026)
  13. 13.Ruptura 360. Fraude inmobiliario en Playa del Carmen: condominio Oceana (12 jun. 2026)

Buying guides

  1. Buying as a foreigner
  2. Closing costs
  3. Deeds and ejido land
  4. Buying pre-construction
  5. Buying to rent out
  6. Mortgages
Homes for saleAll guides