The Cuban influencer Marinet López Bati, who resides in the United States, shared on TikTok the moment she purchased a property in Cuba via a video call, in a video that encapsulates the effort and sacrifice of thousands of Cuban emigrants who dream of having a home on the island.
In the recording, which she posted on her account @marinetlozadabati, you can see how they show her the house from Cuba while she watches from outside.
Buying our little house in Cuba, she wrote in the video description, accompanied by a song about personal growth: "I feel so happy with the little that I have achieved so far / I thank God for all the blessings He has given me."
The property appears in conditions that require repair, something that its followers immediately noticed, though without detracting from the achievement.
Comments from the Cuban community in the diaspora quickly came in. "The best money invested in the world," wrote one of its followers. Another expressed: "How wonderful, blessings! I don't know you, but blessings to all my fellow countrymen who are succeeding." There were also words of encouragement: "This is how you'll start, and you'll see how God will help you to make it beautiful, my life."
The case of Marinet adds to a trend that has gone viral on TikTok since 2025: Cuban emigrants who buy properties on the island and share the moment on social media as a symbol of sacrifice and family love.
In this same month, Sandra, a Cuban residing in Dallas, Texas, bought and remodeled a six-bedroom house for her mother and children in Cuba, which she called her "American dream." Last December, Adianet invested over $60,000 in rebuilding a home that she purchased for just $11,000. In August 2025, another Cuban celebrated on TikTok the full payment of her house in Camagüey.
Behind these stories lies an economic context that makes them possible: the prices of houses in Cuba have dropped between 50% and 60% in dollars since 2018-2019. Properties in areas like Vedado or Miramar, which used to cost $50,000, are now selling for between $15,000 and $20,000, making them accessible to emigrants with hard currency income.
This drop in prices reflects, in turn, the deep housing crisis that Cuba is experiencing: the housing deficit exceeds 929,000 units in 2026, and last year the regime only completed 22% of its annual construction plan, with just 2,382 of the 10,795 planned homes.
For Cubans living abroad, purchasing a property on the island is not without legal obstacles: they must apply for permanent residency with the Ministry of Interior, a process that can take up to 90 days. Furthermore, a migration reform discussed in 2025 created uncertainty regarding the property rights of emigrants by requiring "effective residency" within a period of 180 days.
The Cuban government presented a draft of a new Housing Law in February 2026 that would allow the ownership of up to two permanent properties, repealing the regulation in effect since 1988, although the initiative has not yet been approved.
Filed under: