Mexican Real Estate

* Re “Foreign Real Estate--Buyer Beware,” editorial, Nov. 1: Your editorial on foreign real estate rightly cautions potential investors to exercise due diligence and obtain legal counsel. As one of the many homeowners evicted from the Baja Beach and Tennis Club complex on Oct. 30, I must warn that neither diligence nor legal advice will protect them in Mexico.

The investors at Baja Beach acted with great prudence. In the absence of title insurance, they relied on the written assurances of the Mexican government as to the “absolute legality” of the project. When it became clear (after the homes were built) that there were problems with the underlying title, they again relied on the assurances of the Mexican government that, as “good faith purchasers for value,” their interests would be protected.

Ultimately, none of that mattered. The same government that encouraged us to invest gave us only minutes to leave. It confiscated our homes without compensation or due process. Let the buyer beware, indeed. Let the buyer stay north of the border.

BARBARA KILROY

Compton