Trump Policies Cool Baja California’s Coastal Real Estate Boom

File Photo.

The Trump administration’s policies continue to impact Baja California’s real estate market, especially in the coastal zone. So far, business leaders have observed changes in certain lifestyle patterns and shifts in investment dynamics.

Representatives from various residential developments participated in a press conference sponsored by the Tijuana Tourism and Convention Committee, where they announced they will participate in the annual Celebrando Latinas conference to be held in San Diego, California on August 2.

The sale of houses, land—and particularly—apartment buildings saw increased interest in recent years from Southern California residents. This generated a thriving market in Tijuana and its surroundings, but it has not been immune to the uncertainty impacting the global economy, partly due to new U.S. policies since Donald Trump returned to the White House.

Some developers acknowledge that the market appears to have cooled but continues to attract buyers from diverse backgrounds.

“Despite the chill from immigration policies, in the last 12 months nine new developments have been announced,” representing 1,050 units and a projected investment of $2 billion, stated Luis Bustamante Fernández, director of Bustamante Business Center, referring to the coastal zone between Tijuana and Ensenada.

He says that along the coastline facing the Pacific Ocean—that includes the municipality of Playas de Rosarito—there are 69 developments for sale.

“It is true that the market is stable, not exceptional like 3, 4 years ago. It’s decent, but nobody’s closing shop,” he added.

Mar Picazo, Commercial Director of Alimar Residencial, shares that optimism despite the market cooling.

“Right now it’s kind of weird. The first six months there was a lot of uncertainty between the government change in Mexico and then the government change in the United States,” she commented during the conference.

Picazo noted that factors such as the peso-to-dollar exchange rate also influence the situation.

The rental market, -vital for many of those who lived in Tijuana and worked in California, has been the most affected. “In terms of rentals, the market was almost dead,” Picazo acknowledges.

The Mexican currency has regained ground against the U.S. dollar. After having exceeded 21 pesos per dollar, it currently hovers around 18 per dollar.

“Even so, the real estate market began to pick up its pace,” she noted.

She commented that most of her clients on the coast continue to be Americans and Mexican-Americans, but last year they began to see new Mexican buyers also arriving in the region.

“And they started buying properties above $300,000 up to a million dollars,” added Mar Picazo.

Angélica Mercado, commercial director of the Tierra de Agua development in Playas de Rosarito, also noticed this—not so much from people from other Mexican cities- but from Baja Californians themselves.

“All their lives it was going to San Diego even for milk,” explains Mercado.

“However, we continue seeing long lines of an hour and a half, 2 hours.( to cross the border) So, Mexicans, Tijuana residents are starting to consider: Maybe I prefer an apartment, a house in Rosarito, with an ocean view, rather than crossing to San Diego on weekends.”

Fany Miller, founder of San Diego, California’s Celebrando Latinas, will host these and other real estate developers on August 2.

The event, consisting of conferences, workshops and networking and business opportunities, is promoted as the country’s largest Spanish-language conference aimed at Latinas.

In its 2025 edition, Celebrando Latinas will feature Sheynnis Palacios, Miss Universe 2023 and the first Nicaraguan to obtain this prestigious title, as keynote speaker and will debut at the recently inaugurated Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center in Chula Vista, in southern San Diego County.

They anticipate participation from more than a thousand people addressing topics such as personal, professional and business development, and where they will now learn about the so-called real estate tourism offerings on the other side of the border.

Miller, who is also owner of El Latino, says not to be discouraged by difficulties or bad omens.

“I’m in the newspaper business. Supposedly for 38 years I’ve been dying. I’m still here, we’re still doing well,” she said with irony.

The editor and businesswoman recalled that there continues to be a large market on both sides of the border.

“The border cities of California, Arizona and Texas represent 35 million people who can cross over to consume,” recalled Miller, a Colombia native.

“When Trump leaves, we’re all going up,” said Bustamante Fernández.

This article was prepared using artificial intelligence tools and edited by the Tijuanapress.com team.