Invest in Cuba Oceanfront Homes

 New ways to invest in Cuba and buy oceanfront homes

Prior to the revolution of 1959, for decades, Cuba embraced capitalism and issued stocks and bonds for commerce and infrastructure. Cuba has, to date, defaulted on its issued bonds and they no longer trade on the New York Bond Exchange because of the Helms Burton Law. Since the ascent to greater power of Raul Castro, many investors are once again looking for enlightened change in Cuba and want to invest, in some manner, to benefit from increasing GDP and business within Cuba.

The plans to invest in Cuba marched very well in Havana of end of the Nineties. The government had authorized a Canadian firm of entrepreneur, interested in investing in Cuba, the construction and sale of oceanfront apartments and even signed a contract of $250 million dollars. However, Fidel Castro cancelled the project, which provoked not few critics and disappointment in others interested by the idea of investing in Cuba.

A decade later, the possible construction and sale of oceanfront homes  seems increasingly; although the expert on the subject suggest to go slowly and to study the steps adopted by the government , presided by Raul Castro in the form of investing in Cuba. The Cuban president recently signed an executive order, providing a green light to the expansion of projects to invest in Cuba, which includes the construction of 16 golf courses, in beach areas. These fields would be surrounded by luxurious oceanfront, whose prices would oscillate between 250 thousands and the million dollars. The Cuban Minister of Tourism, Manuel Marrero, declared that as of January of 2011 the negotiations with prospect investors will be opened to those interested on investing in Cuba in the construction of 16 golf courses; even thought the official stated there are already four projects that are well advanced in processing permits.

Invest in Cuba Beachfront Condos

The reasons for the sudden change in the government of the Island are in which it would represent the Cuban tourism to obtain a leap towards an unexplored segment: the one of luxury travel, that it has between his potential market to the United States, a nation that counts on almost ten thousand clubs of golf players and three million yachtsmen, many of which, in case of a relaxation from the Washington embargo, could be interested to invest in Cuba. Among the most developed concrete proposals is that of a group of British businessmen seeking, and to construct a second golf course in the main tourist to invest in Cuba, specifically in Varadero, where they intend to build a second golf course and the main tourist attraction of the island. Besides the playground, they would rise 900 houses, many of them in facing the  sea and an pleasant comfort luxury, since the cost of one of these houses in front of the ocean could exceed a million dollars.

Another proposal to invest in Cuba, lead by a group of Canadian investors is a plan to construct two golf courses and nearly 2,000 homes in the exclusive seaside area of Guardalavaca, in the province of Holguín, the eastern part of the country; a popular tourist destination which attracted two million, 430 thousand visitors in 2009. Included in the list of prospect investors in Cuba is a group of Canadian who would finance the Bellomonte project, in the beach of Guanabo, in the capital of the country. There the idea is to construct a golf course, a small marina and 800 homes.

In spite of the great media coverage that its received the new law on the possibilities to invest in Cuba, Minister Marrero, himself clarified several aspects because the procedures of the operations are not yet defined, specifically those related to the people that could acquire the beachfront properties, those that could invest in Cuba, as well as if the owners could sell the land. Experts concurred on emphasizing these concerns when the Cuban government, as of 2011, offers more details on the operations, then one could only expect a true interest to investing in Cuba.

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REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT IN CUBA

Cuba Hotel Investment

CUBA OPENS FOR REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba has begun allowing foreign investors to lease government land for up to 99 years, a step toward a future that could be filled with golf courses ringed by luxury villas, beachfront timeshares and vacation homes for well-heeled tourists.

But while overseas developers are cheering, some caution that the communist island has been down this road before, embracing foreign ownership with an eye toward bolstering tourism revenues — only to scrap those reforms when the economy improved and profit margins no longer seemed as important as maintaining state control of commerce.

A decree that was published as law Thursday loosened property laws enough to allow 99-year leases for foreigners. A measure appearing the following day expanded self-employment, letting Cubans grow and sell small amounts of farm products out of their homes or special kiosks.

Large agricultural holdings are state-controlled, but small farmers were already allowed to work their own land. The law will allow more Cubans to do so and let them sell what they produce, but will also make them pay taxes on their profits.

The moves are significant as President Raul Castro promises to scale back the state's near-total dominance of the economy while attempting to generate new revenue for a government short on cash.

Still, it's too early to herald a new Cuba, said John Kavulich, a senior policy adviser for the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council in New York.

"I don't think it's going to open a floodgate. I think it may turn on a tap so that people know there's water," he said.

Far more optimistic was Robin Conners, president and CEO of Vancover-based Leisure Canada, which wants to build hotels, villas and two golf courses on a stretch of beach in Jibacoa, 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of Havana.

"We see the times are changing, so to speak," Conners said.

Cuba already allowed leases of state land for up to 50 years with the option to extend them for an additional 25, but foreign investors had long pressed tourism officials to endorse 99-year lease deals to provide additional peace of mind to investors.

The longer leases also mean lower interest rates on international banking mortgages, Conners said.

"I think this is huge," he said by phone while vacationing in Paris.

Conners' company hopes to begin construction on a luxury hotel in the Havana neighborhood of Miramar next year — with the project at Jibacoa and another plan for development on Cayo Largo, a cay off Cuba's southern coast, "not far off."

Investors in Canada, Europe and Asia have been waiting to crack the market for long-term tourism in Cuba, built on visitors who could live part-time on the island instead of just hitting the beach for a few days. The U.S. bars its companies from doing business with Cuba.

The change may also help Cuba embrace golf. Investment firms have for decades proposed building lavish 18-hole courses with luxury housing for foreigners.

Despite years of grand plans, however, Cuba has just two golf courses and has yet to approve construction of any new ones — though the tourism Ministry says it would like to build 10 more.

Andrew Macdonald, CEO of Britain's Esencia Hotels and Resorts, said his company had planned to start construction last year on the Carbonera Country Club, a $300 million development outside the resort of Varadero, but is still waiting for government approval. In addition to an 18-hole golf course, Macdonald's plan calls for 800 luxury apartments and 100 villas.

"It's exceedingly good news," Macdonald said of the new rule. "It's been a long road. But having said that, it's very important for the country that they get each step right, and this is a very big step for them."


NEW CUBA REAL ESTATE LAWS
The new law makes it clear Cuba is looking to boost profits, saying the step is necessary "for the sustainable development of the country and the international economy."

While the longer-term leases could reshape international investment in Cuba, meanwhile, allowing more production and sales of agriculture products will likely have far greater impact on ordinary Cubans.

The law marks the first major expansion of self-employment since Castro said in an address to parliament Aug. 1 that his government would reduce state controls on small businesses and private enterprise — a big deal in a country where about 95 percent of people work for the state.

Cubans already sell fruit, pork, cheese and other items on the sides of highways across the country, fleeing whenever the police happen past. The new measure legalizes such practices by letting Cubans grow whatever they wish and sell it, while bolstering state coffers with new taxes on their earnings.

Oscar Espinosa Chepe, a state-trained economist who became a dissident anti-communist and was jailed for his political beliefs in 2003 before being paroled for health reasons, called the decree "an intelligent move."

"It's good, though still something very limited," Espinosa Chepe said.