If We Had $1 Million to Buy Cabo Real Estate Today, Here's Where We'd Look

Give two Cabo real estate professionals $1 million and tell them they have two months to put a property under contract.

Where do they buy?

It's an interesting exercise because there's no single correct answer.

At $1 million, a buyer has enough purchasing power to be selective—but not enough to ignore tradeoffs.

So instead of starting with granite countertops, furniture packages or whether a property has the perfect backsplash, we'd start with something much more important:

What can't you change?

Strategy #1: Buy the View

One approach would be to focus heavily on Cabo San Lucas, including Pedregal and the upper end of the El Tezal market.

At $1 million, buyers can begin looking at properties where location, elevation and view become significant differentiators.

And the view deserves special attention.

Not simply:

"Does it have an ocean view today?"

The better question is:

"Will it still have this view 10 years from now?"

Los Cabos continues to develop. An empty parcel in front of a condominium today may eventually contain another building.

That's why understanding view corridors and potential future construction matters.

Renovate the Kitchen. You Can't Renovate the Location.

Buyers sometimes get distracted by finishes.

They walk into one property with beautiful furniture, new appliances and a perfect kitchen and compare it with another property that's slightly dated.

But finishes can be changed.

You can renovate a kitchen.

You can replace flooring.

You can buy new furniture.

You can't move the building.

And you can't raise your condo three floors after somebody builds in front of it.

At this price point, we'd place significant value on the characteristics that can't easily be reproduced.

Strategy #2: Look Toward San José and the East Cape

A completely different $1 million strategy would be to head east.

Instead of focusing on Cabo San Lucas, look around San José del Cabo, Puerto Los Cabos and areas providing easy access toward the East Cape.

Here, the appeal is different.

You're buying proximity to San José's restaurants and infrastructure while positioning yourself near one of the most interesting growth corridors in Los Cabos.

Depending on available inventory, either a house or condo could make sense.

The decision would come down to the individual property.

So Which Strategy Is Better?

Neither.

And that's the point.

Real estate shouldn't begin with:

"What's the best development in Cabo?"

It should begin with:

"What am I trying to accomplish?"

Someone who wants dramatic views and easy access to downtown Cabo San Lucas might choose Pedregal.

Someone who wants convenience and value might gravitate toward El Tezal.

Someone attracted to San José, boating, fishing and the future growth of the East Cape might head in the opposite direction.

Same $1 million.

Three very different lifestyles.

What We'd Prioritize With a $1 Million Budget

Regardless of location, we'd pay particular attention to:

• Location
• Sustainable view
• Surrounding development
• Quality of construction
• Community and HOA
• Convenience
• Parking and storage
• Outdoor living
• Resale appeal
• How the property will actually be used

We'd worry less about furniture and cosmetic finishes.

Those are fixable.

The fundamentals aren't.

Don't Buy the Best-Looking Property. Buy the Hardest Property to Replicate.

That's ultimately the exercise we'd encourage buyers to go through.

If you have $1 million to spend in Cabo, you have options.

Use that leverage.

Instead of asking which property looks the nicest during a 20-minute showing, ask which property's most valuable characteristics would be hardest to recreate somewhere else.

The answer might be the view.

It might be location.

It might be walkability.

It might be proximity to the marina or beach.

Whatever it is, that's where we'd want the money going.

Have a $1 Million Cabo Budget?

Let us know what matters most to you and we can help identify the areas and properties we'd actually be looking at in today's market.

Mitch McDonald
REmexico Real Estate
mitch@caborealestate.com

Alejandro Donnadieu
REmexico Real Estate
alejandro@caborealestate.com