RGV international real estate has always been shaped by geography.
We live along an international border. Families, businesses and investments routinely span both sides of it. South Padre Island adds a major vacation and second-home market just east of us. Meanwhile, continued growth across South Texas is creating opportunities involving residential property, commercial real estate, land and development.
That makes international real estate in the Rio Grande Valley more than a niche.
It is part of the market.
That is also one reason I recently earned the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation from the National Association of REALTORS®, along with the Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS) certification.
The letters themselves aren’t particularly important to a buyer, seller or investor. What matters is the additional training behind them and how that knowledge can be applied when a real estate transaction involves another country, an investment, a business or a second home. The same applies when a client’s circumstances simply don’t fit neatly into a traditional local move.
Texas Remains a Major Destination for International Real Estate
The numbers help put RGV international real estate into the broader context of the Texas market.
According to the 2026 Texas International Residential Transactions Report, international buyers purchased approximately 7,780 Texas homes from April 2025 through March 2026. Those purchases represented about $4 billion in residential real estate.
Texas accounted for 12% of international home purchases nationwide, making it the third-largest destination for international buyers in the United States during the reporting period.
But one statistic is particularly relevant to South Texas:
Mexico was the No. 1 country of origin for international buyers purchasing homes in Texas.
Buyers from Mexico represented 35% of all international buyers of Texas homes. Texas was also tied with California as the most popular U.S. destination for Mexican buyers, accounting for 29% of their purchases nationwide.
Not every international buyer lives outside the United States, either. The report found that 62% were already living in the U.S. on visas or as recent immigrants. More than half purchased a primary residence, while 38% of international buyers paid cash.
In other words, “international buyer” can describe many different situations. Someone living in Mexico may be purchasing property in Texas. Another buyer may already live and work here but have an immigration status, financing, assets, business interests or family circumstances that add an international component to the transaction.
What Is a Certified International Property Specialist?
The Certified International Property Specialist designation is NAR’s international real estate designation.
According to the National Association of REALTORS®, CIPS designees complete specialized education covering issues that can arise in global transactions. The curriculum includes currency and exchange rates, cross-cultural relationships, regional market conditions, investment performance and tax issues.
The designation also connects CIPS members with a worldwide professional network, creating opportunities to work with and refer clients to real estate professionals in other countries and markets.
A CIPS designee does not replace an immigration attorney, tax professional, lender, financial adviser or other specialist. International transactions can involve questions that belong with those professionals.
For RGV international real estate clients, the designation provides additional education and a professional network designed around transactions in which borders, currencies, cultures, investments or international circumstances may matter.
International Real Estate Isn’t Limited to Homes
When people hear “international real estate,” it is easy to imagine someone buying a vacation home in another country.
That is certainly part of the market, but international real estate can extend well beyond residential property.
Investors may be evaluating income-producing property. A business owner may be looking for commercial space or land in South Texas. Companies may need property as part of an expansion into the region. Developers may evaluate land based on where population, infrastructure and economic activity are headed. An owner living outside the United States may need to sell an investment or commercial property here.
Those decisions require looking at real estate differently than someone choosing a home based primarily on where they want to live.
For an investor, the property itself is only part of the equation. Population growth, employment, infrastructure, rents, supply, demand, development patterns and financing can all influence whether an opportunity makes sense. So can the movement of capital.
Adding an international component can create even more considerations.
That intersection of real estate, economics and the broader market is an area I intend to continue developing within my own practice.
What RGV International Real Estate Can Look Like
International real estate doesn’t necessarily mean selling a villa in Europe or a condo in Mexico.
It can happen right here in the Valley.
A family living in Mexico may want to purchase a home in McAllen. Someone living outside the United States may need to sell a house in Edinburg. An investor could be evaluating land or income-producing property in South Texas. A business owner may be looking for commercial property as part of an expansion. Someone who recently moved to the Valley may be purchasing a primary residence while maintaining financial or family ties in another country.
The flow can move in the other direction, too. An RGV resident may decide to purchase property abroad and need a referral to a qualified professional in that market.
Each situation is different.
That is precisely why I wanted more formal international real estate training.
What CIPS Can Mean for Rio Grande Valley Property Owners
There is another side of international real estate that is particularly important to me as a real estate professional: understanding where potential buyers and investors may come from.
A property’s most likely buyer will usually depend on the asset, location, price point and intended use. Not every RGV home, parcel of land, investment property or commercial property needs an international marketing strategy. Simply holding a CIPS designation does not automatically put a property in front of buyers around the world.
But when a property does have potential appeal beyond the local market, understanding international buyers and investors can become another tool in the marketing strategy. Access to a broader professional network can help as well.
I think that distinction matters.
Good real estate marketing isn’t about promising that every property has buyers waiting around the world. It starts with understanding the property and identifying the audiences most likely to value it. From there, the goal is to build a strategy designed to reach them.
Investment and Commercial Real Estate Require a Broader View
The more I study economics and the Rio Grande Valley’s growth, the more interested I have become in the relationship between real estate and the larger forces shaping the region.
A commercial building, investment property or parcel of land cannot be evaluated in isolation.
Where are people moving? Where are employers adding jobs? Where is infrastructure being built? How much competing inventory exists? What is happening with rents, construction costs, interest rates and financing? What industries are expanding? Where is development moving next?
Those are real estate questions, but they are also economic questions.
They become particularly interesting in a region like ours, where local growth intersects with international trade, cross-border commerce and investment.
That intersection is one reason RGV international real estate can extend well beyond residential transactions.
As I continue expanding into investment and commercial real estate, my goal is not simply to identify properties that are available. I want to understand the market surrounding those properties and help clients ask better questions about the opportunities in front of them.
Attorneys, accountants, lenders, financial advisers, engineers and other professionals may still be needed to evaluate a particular investment. I see my role as helping clients understand the real estate and market context while assembling the right expertise when a transaction requires it.
International Real Estate Is Only Part of the Picture
The second credential I recently earned addresses another part of the South Texas market.
The Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist certification is designed for REALTORS® who work with properties purchased or sold for investment, development, retirement or use as second homes in resort, recreational and vacation markets.
That has obvious applications in our region.
The Rio Grande Valley has long attracted people who spend only part of the year here. South Padre Island adds an entirely different resort and vacation-property component. Other clients may be considering a second residence, retirement property or investment rather than a traditional primary home.
Those buyers and sellers can have different priorities than someone simply moving from one primary residence to another.
Where International, Investment and Second-Home Real Estate Come Together
What interested me most about earning both credentials is where these different parts of the real estate market begin to overlap.
Imagine a buyer from Mexico purchasing a second home in South Texas.
An international buyer might instead be considering an investment or vacation property on South Padre Island.
Another investor could be evaluating land in the Valley for future development.
A business owner with cross-border operations may be looking for property in South Texas.
A seasonal resident, meanwhile, could be deciding whether to sell a Valley property while living most of the year somewhere else.
Those situations don’t always fit neatly into a single category. International, residential, commercial, investment and second-home considerations can intersect.
Additional education in international and second-home real estate gives me a better framework for understanding a client’s circumstances. It also helps me recognize where additional expertise may be needed and coordinate with the appropriate professionals when a transaction becomes more complex.
The Goal Is Still Local
Earning CIPS and RSPS doesn’t change the fundamental direction of my real estate business.
My focus remains the Rio Grande Valley.
These credentials broaden the perspective I can bring to that work.
The Valley is simultaneously a local housing market, a growing South Texas economy, an international trade corridor and a border region. It is also a tourism and second-home destination and a place attracting new businesses, development and investment.
I believe understanding how those forces interact — including the growing role of RGV international real estate — makes me better equipped to advise clients here at home.
I may be helping a homeowner prepare a property for sale, working with someone moving into the region, evaluating an investment or commercial opportunity, assisting a second-home buyer or navigating a transaction with an international component. Whatever the situation, the approach is the same:
Understand the market. Understand the client’s goals. Communicate clearly. And build the strategy around both.
Thinking about buying, selling or investing in the Rio Grande Valley? Whether you’re considering a home, land, an investment or commercial property, a second home or a transaction with an international component, contact me to start the conversation.
Rudy Mireles, REALTOR® | CIPS | RSPS, is a Rio Grande Valley real estate professional with Rio Realty. He is a Certified International Property Specialist and Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist.
