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In Cuba there is a selection of furnished
and unfurnished apartments and even houses
for rent to foreigners.
As a standard rule of thumb, newcomers
to any country should never buy a house,
condominium or other property "right off
the plane". Only a fool would make such
a stupid mistake.
When looking for a place to rent it is
always best to shop around and compare prices
if you are looking to save money. The first
thing you should do is find a hotel or room
to use for temporary living while you search
for permanent lodging and decide where you
want to live. Then search for an apartment
or house to rent for at least six months
to a year in order to get acquainted with
the customs and living conditions and to
sample the weather. After this time if you
decide that living in Cuba is not for you,
you are not burdened with having to get
rid of a piece of property.
To find a house or apartment start by talking
to other foreigners who live in the area
you like. This won't be difficult since
a kind of bond exists between foreigners
living abroad. You will make good friends
easily. They will almost always know someone
who is renting or selling property. If you
can read Spanish try looking in the local
paper. The prices are usually lower and
you can find good deals.
If you don't understand Spanish you should
learn the following words so you can understand
ads and signs when looking for housing:
agua caliente-hot water, alfombrado-carpeted,
amueblado-furnished, sin muebles-unfurnished,
baño-bathroom, cocina-kitchen,
cochera or garaje-garage,
contrato-contract, déposito
or anticipo-deposit, dormitorio-bedroom,
guarda-guard, jardín-garden,
seguro-safe, patio-patio,
parqueo or estacionamiento-parking.
Talk to people on the street and let them
know you are looking to rent. Walk around
the neighborhood in your favorite area,
ask questions and look for signs that say
"Se alquila "which means "for rent".
When you do find a house or apartment to
rent, try using a native Spanish speaker
to approach the owner and ask what the price
is. This way you can find out what the real
price is and not be taken advantage of because
you are a foreigner. In most Latin American
countries there is a two tiered price system:
inflated prices for tourists and real prices
for residents. Knowing this can save you
money in the long run.
When you do find a rental, before handing
over any money or signing a rental agreement
be sure to see if: there is a hot water
tank and it works, all the faucets and valves
work and there is adequate water pressure,
all the toilets function properly, the water
is potable; the light switches and plugs
work, each room has enough outlets, the
house or apartment has a phone, the roof
leaks-very import any during the rainy season,
there is garbage service available; there
are signs of cockroaches, other bugs or
rats, all of the locks, doors and windows
work correctly, the house is secure against
robberies, there is enough closet space,
there is mail delivery, there is a bus stop,
market, hospital and school nearby-if you
have children. Air conditioning is necessary.
Are pets permitted? Are there noisy neighbors
and heavy traffic?
Even if you are renting on a month-to-month
basis, you should make sure your house or
apartment meets most of the above conditions.
If you do decide to sign a lease or contract,
make sure you know what you are signing.
Have your lawyer or some other knowledgeable
person check all the papers. Have a copy
translated for yourself. Ask for lower rent
if you sign a long term deal. Also make
sure the owner will take care of repairs
and provide security. A live in maid or
gardner can help watch your place when you
are away.
If you decide you want to remain in Cuba
and choose to buy property, be sure and
follow the same procedure as we suggested
above when renting property. If everything
meets with your satisfaction, you are almost
ready to buy. However, first check to see
if the person who is selling you the property
is really the owner. In Latin America it
is common practice for someone who is not
the owner to sell a piece of property. Another
scam is to sell the same property to several
different people. Check all public records
like the title of the land and see if there
are encumbrances or taxes owed. Whatever
you do don't buy anything 'sight unseen',
however tempting it may seem. Don't be an
impulsive buyer.
When buying don't forget to compare prices
in the area to make sure you are getting
a good deal and not paying too much. Also
find out about taxes, transfer costs and
other fees. Finally, go to a reliable lawyer
and have all the paperwork checked before
any money is exchanged or anything is signed.
We have heard too many horror stories of
foreigners being swindled in real estate
ventures in other Latin American countries.
So, do your homework and be careful! It
is also advisable to talk with other foreigners
who have purchased real estate. Find out
what obstacles they have encountered. Be
sure to ask them for advice and any other
helpful information they are willing to
provide. This is especially true if you
decide to build a home. By doing your home
work you can save yourself a lot of grief
and unnecessary errors in the long run.
If you do build a home someday, don't expect
things to go as smoothly as you planned.
Things work differently in the third world.
Make allowances for untimely delays, the
work ethic of your laborers, bureaucracy,
and the availability of certain building
material
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