Let’s be clear from the start: this is not a client case. It’s a possible path, built with three properties we currently have for sale in La Veleta, to show in numbers what it looks like to go from a studio to three properties in four years. The price figures are real; the rental assumptions are ranges and we label them as such.
The three assets, at today’s prices
We pulled three units in La Veleta from our catalog. Prices listed in pesos are converted to dollars at the October 8, 2026 exchange rate, 18,0127 pesos per dollar.
- Year 0 · Erena 109. Studio of 49,65 m² at 1.700.000 MXN, about
94.378 USD, equivalent to 1.901 USD per m². Development with pool,
day spa, and yoga areas. - Year 2 · Blue Luxury 202B. One-bedroom condo of 49 m² at
1.899.000 MXN, about 105.426 USD, 2.152 USD per m². - Year 4 · Bohemian La Veleta. Two-bedroom condo of 106 m² at
2.200.000 MXN, about 122.136 USD, 1.152 USD per m².
Together, the three cost 321.940 USD at today’s prices. That’s the
first number worth looking squarely at: you don’t end up with three properties; you end up
with a total of 322.000 dollars spread over four years.
The math that doesn’t add up
The romantic idea is that the first property pays for itself and finances the second. Let’s
put numbers on it. As an illustrative assumption, take a net rental yield between the 4% and
8% per year on price, after management, maintenance, and vacancy. It’s a prudent range, not a
promise; we do not guarantee rental income.
On the studio’s 94.378 dollars, that’s between 3.775 and 7.550 dollars per
year. Over four years, between 15.000 and 30.000 dollars at most. The other two
properties add up to 227.562 dollars. The first studio’s income covers only a small fraction
of the shortfall.
That’s the takeaway: the studio does not buy the other two. What buys
them is a combination of three sources, and it pays to know which they are before you start:
- New savings. It’s the big source. If the plan depends on rent, it
depends on little. - Presale installment payments. A unit delivered later is paid in
installments, so the outlay is spread over time. You need to read the payment schedule and
the delivery date, and be wary of both when they’re not in writing. - Selling one unit. If a unit appreciates, selling it frees up capital
for the next one. It’s the only one that depends on the market, so don’t count on it as
certain.
What adds up and almost no one includes
Each purchase pays acquisition tax, notary, registry, and appraisal. For a foreign buyer,
add the bank trust (fideicomiso) setup and its annual fee, because La Veleta is in the
restricted zone. As a guideline, set aside between 5% and 8% of each transaction’s value on
top of the price.
On the three prices above, that’s between 16.100 and 25.800 dollars just
in closing costs, and the real total for the path lands between 338.000 and 347.700. Anyone
planning only off the list price underestimates the plan by more than 16.000 dollars.
The three decisions that really move the outcome
1. What to buy first
A 49 m² studio is the cheapest entry point on the path, but not necessarily the best. In
La Veleta, the Erena 109 studio comes out to 1.901 dollars per m² and the Blue Luxury condo
to 2.152. The cheapest square meter isn’t the most profitable: it depends on what guests pay
per night and how many nights it books, two data points no sales sheet guarantees.
2. When to buy the second one
Not when the second year rolls around, but when the first studio already has a track
record: actual occupancy, actual expenses, and management that works. If the first unit
underperforms, it’s better to find out before you sign for the second.
3. How many you can manage
Three units in the same area simplify operations: one team, one visit, one cleaning
vendor. But they also concentrate risk. If La Veleta has a bad year, all three do.
Concentrating is convenient; diversifying is what protects.
Three takes on the same plan
To see how much each assumption matters, it’s worth running the math with three scenarios,
all on the 94.378 dollars studio and all illustrative:
- Conservative, 4% net: about 3.775 dollars per year. Over four years,
15.100. - Mid case, 6% net: about 5.663 dollars per year. Over four years,
22.651. - Optimistic, 8% net: about 7.550 dollars per year. Over four years,
30.201.
Even in the optimistic scenario, the studio’s cumulative income covers less than a seventh
of what the other two cost. The plan is decided by savings and the payment schedule, not by
rent.
What can go wrong
- Rent comes in below the range. Then the plan relies more on new
savings. - The exchange rate moves. Prices are in pesos and savings in dollars; a
swing of a couple of pesos changes the cost of the third unit. - Delivery is delayed. In a presale, a one-year delay is a year without
income while installments keep running. - Paperwork isn’t in order. Before paying anything: recorded deed, no
liens, property tax current, and condominium regime.
What does make sense
Starting with a small unit in a demand area is a reasonable way in: the initial outlay is
low, you learn the process with little at stake, and the second decision is made with your
own data. What doesn’t make sense is starting out counting on the first unit’s rent to pay
for the next ones. With the numbers above, it doesn’t.
If you want us to build this same model with your budget — price, closing costs, payment
schedule, and rental range — on properties from our inventory, write to us.
We’ll run it with the day’s figures and without promising a return we cannot guarantee.
Prices and sizes from the inversionesdemexico.com catalog, read on October 8, 2026 and
subject to change. Conversion at 18,0127 pesos per dollar (October 8, 2026). The 4% to 8%
net annual yield and the 5% to 8% closing costs are indicative ranges, not verified data or a
performance guarantee. This is an illustrative path, not a real case. Consult a notary and a
tax advisor before buying.
Versión en español: De un estudio en La Veleta a tres propiedades en cuatro años · Versão em português: De um estúdio em La Veleta a três imóveis em quatro anos · Version française: D’un studio à La Veleta à trois biens en quatre ans
