April 09, 2007
Retire in Cuba?
Yesterday, I came across website selling a guide to "Living and Investing in the New Cuba." The write-up lauds Cuba's affordability, its friendly people, the availability of cheap labor. Labor provided by folks like Maria, living in misery, struggling to make ends meet under the radar of the authorities. No matter, Cuba’s just another third world country, what do you expect? Invest in Cuba, and don’t worry about the politics, because the government is stable…
Although some cracks have appeared in the political system in recent years due to a poor economy, the country is stable. For almost forty years the government has endured in its present form. Not many third world countries have enjoyed this kind of stability — indeed a rare phenomenon in Latin America. Only Costa Rica can make a similar claim.
My head is spinning at the possibilities for exploitation, get your copy now and learn:
Secrets for success in Cuba
How to choose where to live in Cuba
How to keep busy and happy in Cuba
Where to meet people and even find love and romance in Cuba
Tax savings for foreigners living abroad
Proven shortcuts for learning Cuban-style Spanish
1000's of tips for everyone including baby boomers, retirees and entrepreneurs
Plus loads of insider info and all the dos and don'ts of living and investing in Cuba.
Friends, the vultures are circling.
Posted by Ziva at April 9, 2007 03:33 PM
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Comments
"Where to meet people and even find love and romance in Cuba "
Wasn't there a post about these spots here on Babalú recently?
http://www.babalublog.com/archives/004955.html
Posted by: elbombillo ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.babalublog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at April 9, 2007 04:29 PM
This guy is either misinformed or he was on crack when he wrote his document.
Posted by: jose dominguez at April 9, 2007 04:30 PM
There are many examples in the outskirts of Havana, of houses under construction by foreigner that were confiscated by the government before coming to completion. One cannot purchase private property in Cuba thus, you get this nightmare scenario:
Someone pays a Cuban family a few thousand dollars to "purchase" a plot of land that perhaps has been in the family since before the revolution.
Said purchaser begins construction.
The Cuban government waits until the project is half or three-quarters complete before seizing the property back for the benefit of the state.
The "purchaser" loses his money, his home under construction and that individual who sold the plot is in danger of losing a lot more.
I've seen it happen. Have the photos to go with it.
-Anatasio
Posted by: CubaWatch at April 9, 2007 04:34 PM
Anastasio, this is exactly what happened to me about 3 years ago. I still go to Havana and look at that house wondering how soon that property will deteriorate to the "before renovation" condition. That Howard guy is most likely a dreamer. I was one too and learned the truth the hard way. Nowdays I educate people who have similar ideas.
Dariusz
Posted by: dariusz at April 9, 2007 07:05 PM
Slaves move to freedom. Fools move to slavery.
Posted by: Tomas Estrada-Palma at April 9, 2007 08:30 PM
This is almost as hard to believe as the Cuban Disneyland story.
You gotta love the hyprocrisy, trash capitalism, but be ready to make a buck off of it.
I can see the ads now: "Commie Condos" or "A Revolution in Retirement". "Fidel Acres, where you can swim in the broken sewers, exercise cutting sugar cane, make new friends begging from the tourists."
Can't sell the healthcare though, fidel is "dying proof" that that sucks. "Just remember bring your own sheets, aspirin and toilet paper".
"Play shuffleboard on the cracked sidewalks."
"Ride the Malecon in a picturesque oxcart."
"Tour the lovely ruins of a 20 year old public housing block."
"No gambling in Cuba? Don't worry, you can gamble to see if your Social Security check ever gets there."
Hey, we can even get Erik Estrada to do an infomercial for this...."Operators on duty", nope the phone system's broken.
Gotta go, got a develpoer on the line with a proposal for the "Isle of Pines" condo conversion.
Posted by: JackW at April 10, 2007 07:19 AM
I spent over $20 buying that book " Living and Investing in the New Cuba", by Christopher Howard. What a waste ! He indeed, is a dreamer,..but with dollar signs in his eyes. There is no way it is practical for anyone to retire in Cuba, much less investing. INVESTING ? What a crock ! Even if Fidel passes on, there will be no big changes there, - it will continue to be a rigid communist country where the land is owned by the state. Christopher Howard writes these flowery books for gullible dreamers that start drinking that "retire in paradise" cool aid. He is now a resident of Costa Rica and wrote a similar book about that country, plus he escorts pricey tours of that country for naive gringos unable to explore and ask questions on their own. However, he conveniently leaves out the negative stuff,..the impending drastic increases in real estate taxes and the exponentially increasing violent crime in Costa Rica. Not only night time home break-ins,..but home break-ins IN BROAD DAYLIGHT,..violent armed robberies, white collar real estate scams and even murder. When I emailed him and asked how he could ignore this increasing problem in his " everything is beautiful" articles, he responded, " thanks for the information." Forget his book on Cuba,..just go there yourself for 2,3 weeks like I did,(twice), and look the situation over. It won't take you long to start looking for another place to retire to,..like Panama or even Nicaragua.
Posted by: Jose' at April 1, 2008 09:33 PM
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