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Yemisrach Kifle | NuWireInvestor.com

While Cuba still remains off-limits to Americans, there is a heated debate on whether or not Obama’s administration should scrap the half-century old embargo on the island nation. After all, Fidel Castro no longer holds the reigns of power and his brother Raul seems to be ready to relax the Communist Party’s grip on the economy. That said, save another revolution, change in Cuba is likely to come very slowly. However, this has not stopped many investors from keeping a close eye on Cuba.

That the island has attracted real estate speculators shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, Cuba is a beautiful country whose natural and cultural landscape has not yet been lost to over-development. It has had a fascinating history. Its people are mostly educated and have a strong sense of self. Cuba has received consistently high marks on the United Nations’ Human Development Report.

Of course, the country also faces huge challenges. Its economy is in tatters. Its infrastructure is substandard. Worse of all, it faces an embargo from its biggest potential market, the United States. “Time pretty well came to a standstill following the Revolution in 1959,” said Christopher P. Baker who authored, among five other books, The National Geographic Traveler: Cuba. Not much visible development has taken place since then.

Cuba at a glance

Located in the northern Caribbean, Cuba is the biggest island in the Greater Antilles. Its main island is 766 miles long. Approximately 11 million people live in Cuba. The island’s culture is a medley of aboriginal, Spanish, and African.

The 2008 UN Human Development Report puts Cuba at 51st out of 177 countries. This places the island in the top third of the development spectrum. The country indeed has archived a lot in terms of health and education. The average life expectancy on the island is 77.7 years, virtually tied with the United States’ 77.9. Its literacy rate is among the world’s highest. Its GDP per capita, however, ranks 94 which is close to the bottom of the middle tier countries.

The Human Development Report has been compiled since 1990 and seeks to look further than just plain economic indicators to rank countries based on their ability to advance the well-being to their citizens. The report doesn’t take into consideration human right issues such as political and intellectual freedom. If it had, Cuba would definitely have done badly in these areas. Its citizens have no say in who rules them. Press freedom is curtailed by the government and there are very limited property ownership rights.

The number of foreign corporations entering the Cuban market is rising. “Currently doing business in Cuba are Canadians, Spanish, Mexicans, British, German and Jamaican entities. China is boosting its investments in the mining industry, where Canada’s Sherritt Corporation has been the biggest presence in the past decade,” said Baker, who has traveled to the island more 30 times.

Real Estate in Cuba

Homes can only be exchanged and not sold in Cuba
“Most Cubans own their own homes, and some, such as tobacco farmers, own land, but sale is not permitted,” said Baker. “Home-owners are permitted to exchange homes with government approval on a like basis, that is properties must be similar.” Still, this doesn’t mean property transactions involving money don’t take place.

The underground property market is thriving in Havana, the nation’s capital, according to the International Herald Tribune. Prices are on the rise with as much as $50,000 changing hands. Speculators want to get a hold of historic homes with the expectation that private property will once again be the norm in the country. Some of the home exchanges taking place are legal and deal with similar properties. Most, however, involve swapping for a bigger or smaller property, with the party getting the bigger place paying the party wishing to trade down.

Cuba is known for its beautiful architecture. ”[The country] is a time capsule, with fabulous colonial structures, as well as a huge core of Beaux Arts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Modernist buildings,” said Baker. “But the infrastructure is badly corroded and a large percentage of homes are virtual slums that would be condemned in most developed Western nations.” Despite the Cuban government’s successful renovation of the country’s prominent colonial centers, much more needs to be done, both aesthetically and structurally. Full restoration will require billions of dollars that the country doesn’t possess.

Should Cuba open up, it has a lot going for it as far as attracting international investment. “Dozens of beaches offer huge potential for residential development, and this will be the focus of future real estate development aimed at foreigners,” said Baker.

Read the rest of the story from Buying real estate in Cuba

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