Cuba - embargo - land ownership.

You thought you'd ask this on an adult message board eh?

All i know that it is very hard to deal with Cuba. You have no rights there even if you are a tourist and if you are a resident.

bump for the afternoon crew.

Yeh, i thought I'd ask here. There are a few globe trotters, ex pats and real estate people... I'm sure there is somebody on here with better first hand knowledge than anybody in my social circle.

Make no mistake about it ... present day cuba isn't a place I'd like to live ... however.. being that fidel is in his 80's ... and even though his brother is currently running things, I don't see him being able to hold it together when fidel dies. being 90 miles away from florida, in the major cruise line routes, and shrouded in 40 some years of mystery ... I could see land / resort ownership flourishing down there once again.

A bit off topic but cuba-related: Cuba actually has a very robust biotech sector. With a little investment, it could be huge.

The DAY I can buy there, I'm on it. I love Havana.

As of now they have to property rights so I don't think there is any way to really secure anything unless you have some deal with the Government.

I have heard from my Cuban friends that McDonalds and Starbucks both have deals made with the gov for prime real estate along the Malecon in Havana, as well as a few other American businesses.

So I'm sure you can do it n a grand scale, but just to buy a house... you would have to make a deal with a Cuban first, then hope than when that day comes that they will 1) still sell at the agreed price 2) will have the rights to sell it. I'm going to bet the Cuban people will get a fucking on their property before it's all said and done.

HUGE things going on in Cuba regarding this, and it's growing. Cuba is a goldmine waiting to be stripped and exploited.

For as shitty as many of the Cuban people have it right now, I do feel bad for them when the world rushes in to take what they have and leave them looking like just another Caribbean shit hole. They sadly don't know what's coming for them.

From an investment standpoint, land in Cuba is a very, very risky venture. The government can (and has before) sweep in and take away all of your rights without notice. Your rights are very limited (see "none" in the dictionary) and any projects (including hotels and such) are total risk situations. There are a number of Canadian companies involved, but they have created ongoing businesses and are not just playing land ownership games (some of them even rent the land, and don't own it).

You would have more luck owning farm land in Africa.

Great post. Those beautiful old townhomes/apartments will be snached up quick.

MMm.. Don't know enough about current laws there Brett. But one thing that is known is that foreign corps are trying to purchase assets in Cuba which were previously owned by US corps - they are mainly factories etc - and Castro is interested in progressing with these deals. (Obviously to aid the ecomony)

The entities attempting to buy are mainly from Canadia, UK, Mexico and a couple of Euro countries.

I don't know about "stripped and exploited." However, the biotech sector in Cuba has accomplished so much with so little, it just boggles the mind how big of a regional player it would be if given decent foreign direct investment. This benefits not only the research doctors, researchers, and workers in that area but also the general Cuban economy in terms of the fresh inflow of foreign reserves.

You see, unlike gold, rubber, or timber, biotech is an INTELLECTUAL capital industry and Cuba's long standing commitment to socialized health and the science and research infrastructure they built for biotechnology grows from this intellectual capital. Cuba can easily be a big regional bio/pharma player.

As for the world rushing in and screwing up Cubans, you may have a point if what you meant was Cuba blindly embracing economic liberalism. Maybe the right path would be a mix between the "safety net" of some elements of the current regime and economic growth brought about by relaxing market controls. I ought to know, I live in the Philippines. I see these issues firsthand.

You can count on it.

Think about it, Cuba is a time capsule held over from 1962. Everything there is antique, worth money. From their cars, to their furniture to their homes and property.

Now imagine if you were a collector, antique dealer or land developer and had access to everything from 1962!!! That is Cuba. And it's all going to be for sale.

I visit Cuba more than I should and can tell you first hand that Cuba is going to be turned upside down when the Americans are allowed to come there and buy everything on the island. Anything that can be exported, will be exported. The Cubans will be happy as shit because they will get money but they are going to lose something that is priceless... Shelter from the rest of the world.

For as happy as I am for them when they get the freedom many of them long for, I feel bad for them because that freedom is going to come at a great cost, as it always does.

I'll be the first Negro on the plane when that embargo ends...I mean as soon as I hear the announcement, I'll be on expedia.com purchasing a flight