I Shopped Cancun Homes for Sale. Here’s My Real Talk Review.

You know what? I came to Cancun for one winter. I ended up house hunting. I toured 12 places. I bought one. I have sand in my car mats and three quotes for hurricane shutters. So yeah, I’ve got thoughts.

Who I am and what I needed

I’m Kayla. I work remote, and I wanted three simple things:

A safe area
A yard for my dog
Not too far from good tacos

I also wanted rental options later. Simple dream, tiny budget? Not really. But I didn’t want a crazy high HOA either.

The 4 homes that stuck with me

I saw a mix. Fancy towers. Gated homes. Older houses with soul. Here are the ones I still think about.

1) Hotel Zone condo (Bay View Grand, km 9.5)

What it was: 2-bed on the 12th floor, full ocean view. Big pool. Gym. Guard at gate.
Price: $750,000 USD. HOA about $600/month.
How it felt: The view made my knees weak. The breeze was a dream. I could hear waves and faint club music at night.
Good: Walk to the beach. Clean common areas. Tight security.
Eh: Sargassum season is real. The water can get messy in summer. HOA rules don’t allow short stays. It’s pricey. Parking was tight when events ran late.

I loved it. I also knew I’d hate the party traffic after month two.

On that note, if the buzz of nightlife is part of your relocation fantasy and you’re curious about how Cancun singles actually connect once the bars close, the expats I met pointed me to Fuckbook — an adults-only local meetup board that lets you gauge the real late-night social scene and see whether that 24/7 vibe matches your lifestyle before you buy into the heart of the Hotel Zone.
Those same globetrotters split their summers between Cancun and Lake Norman, North Carolina, and they keep things equally effortless stateside by browsing Listcrawler Mooresville — a no-frills directory that shows real-time availability, reviews, and rates so they can line up a low-key meetup without swiping for hours.

2) Puerto Cancun tower (SLS Harbour Beach)

What it was: 1-bed, about 90 m², marina view. Fancy lobby. Golf and mall nearby.
Price: $520,000 USD. HOA about $450/month.
How it felt: It smelled like new money. And sunscreen. Boats hummed at dusk. Pretty scene.
Good: Super safe. Great gym. Walk to coffee. Solid build.
Eh: Very strict rules. No loud guests. Some rentals blocked. Also, those numbers… they add up real fast.

It’s perfect if you want luxury and rules. I like rules. I like space more.

3) Gated family area (Residencial Aqua on Av. Huayacán)

What it was: 3-bed, 2.5-bath, small yard. Two parks. Pools. Jogging track.
Price: $285,000 USD. HOA about 1,200 MXN/month.
How it felt: Kid bikes, dog walkers, evening soccer. Warm and neighborly. A bit of new-home echo.
Good: Safe. Community vibe. Reasonable fees. Stores close by.
Eh: Ongoing building noise on weekdays. Some homes had low water pressure. Yards are small. Traffic on Huayacán at 6 pm is no joke.

I kept thinking, “I could live here. I could also nap here.”

4) Downtown house (SM 15, near Malecón Américas)

What it was: Older 3-bed, single level. No HOA. Walkable to shops and tacos.
Price: $210,000 USD.
How it felt: Cool tile floors. High ceilings. Funky old doors that stuck when it rained.
Good: Great food nearby. Easy bus routes. You can paint the house lime green if you want.
Eh: Street noise. Older wiring. A few power blips in storms. Parking is street-only and tight during soccer nights.

I loved the life on the street. I didn’t love the 2 am horn section.

What I actually bought

I bought in Residencial Aqua. A 3-bed with a tiny yard and a palm. It wasn’t perfect. But it fit.

List price: $289,000 USD. I closed a bit under asking after a slow two weeks.
Closing time: 8 weeks.
Bank trust (fideicomiso): Setup was about $1,800 USD. Annual fee about $650 USD. As a U.S. buyer, I needed this. It’s normal on the coast.
Closing costs: Around 6–7% with notario, taxes, and paperwork.
Insurance: 9,500 MXN/year for hurricane coverage. Worth it.
Electric bill (CFE): 2,500–4,000 MXN/month in hot months. Inverter A/C helped. I learned to cool rooms, not the whole planet.
Upgrades: Hurricane panels (quoted 28,000 MXN). Pressure pump and bigger tinaco (knew I’d need it after one weak shower).

I’ll be honest. I almost chose the downtown house. Then I remembered my dog is scared of fireworks.

Money talk (simple ranges I saw)

Downtown condos: $120k–$250k USD
Gated homes like Aqua, Arbolada, Cumbres: $220k–$450k USD
Luxury towers (Puerto Cancun, Hotel Zone): $500k–$2M USD
Annual property tax: Often a few hundred USD. It’s low here.
Closing costs: Plan for 5–8% (solid buying cost guide that kept me grounded)
Fideicomiso: Setup $1,500–$2,000; annual $500–$800
HOA: From $50 to $700/month, based on services and towers

Want another yardstick? Browse the boutique beachfront options at Ceiba del Mar to see how Riviera Maya numbers stack up against the spots I toured.

The good stuff you feel right away

Sun and breeze fix a lot of moods. So do mango paletas.
Many gated areas feel safe and friendly.
New homes have clean lines, bright light, and decent common spaces.
Taxes are low. That surprised me. Cancun’s roughly-one-million-strong headcount plays a part in keeping services humming—here’s my honest lived-in review of the Cancun population if you want the street-level feel.
Service staff are kind. The guard in my gate now waves at my dog by name.

The tough bits no one brags about

Storm prep is a chore. Shutters, water, batteries. You do it. For a deeper look at what hurricane season in Cancun really brings, I broke it all down elsewhere.
Sargassum season can turn your perfect beach day into a plan B.
Some builds cut corners. Check sealing, pumps, drains, and roofs.
Traffic on Kukulcán and Huayacán can be sticky.
Mosquito hour is real in Bonfil and near the lagoon. Bring spray.
Some HOAs block short-term rentals. Ask first, not last.

I say this with love. Cancun is joy and hassle. Both live here.

Little moments that made my choice

I sweat through a shirt at a 2 pm showing. Bring water.
The notario was calm and thorough. I signed slower than I planned. Then I slept better.
A perito inspector caught a roof seal issue. The seller fixed it. Money well spent.
My agent was 20 minutes late once. We shrugged and shared churros after. It’s fine.
A taco stand near SM 3 made me rethink our budget. I’m kidding. Sort of.

If you want rental income

Hotel Zone: Strong demand, but many HOAs block short stays.
Puerto Cancun: Very strict. Often no short stays.
Downtown: More flexible, but check building rules and neighbors.
Gated suburbs (Aqua/Arbolada/Cumbres): Mostly long-term only. Good for 12-month tenants.

Ask for rules in writing. Ask again. Then save the PDF.

Tips I wish I had on day one

Work with an AMPI-certified agent. It matters here.
Hire your own notario. Don’t just accept the seller’s pick.
Get a home inspection (perito). Expect 6,000–10,000 MXN. Worth every peso.
Look at the CFE bill from August. That’s the hot month bill. Plan your life around that number.
Check water pressure, cistern, pump, and roof drains.
Visit at night and in a storm if you can. Sound and leaks tell the truth.
Read HOA rules about pets, paint, and rentals. Twice.
Aim for impact glass or shutters. Do not skip this.

One more tiny thing: bring a tape measure.