A Cuban resident in Miami who built a house in Cuba four years ago sparked a debate on social media by posting a video in which he concludes that neither of the two options seems like a profitable business to him, although for very different reasons.
The creator, identified as @candysantos_01, began the video by showcasing the property he inaugurated in 2022 in Cuba and clarified from the start that his intention was not to brag about it, but to warn his audience about what he describes as "the biggest deception" in the real estate market.
His main argument points directly to Miami: "I don't see buying a house in the United States as a profitable business," he stated, and explained that, according to his calculations, a property in that city can generate the owner only between 300 and 400 dollars of net monthly profit.
"A house that leaves you three hundred dollars in profits or four hundred, that's not a profitable business," he insisted, adding that, in his opinion, truly recouping the investment requires waiting at least twenty years, with all the uncertainty that entails: "In twenty years, you and I don’t know where we will be, whether we’ll be here in Jamaica or six feet under."
According to the creator, for properties in Miami to function as a business capable of generating significant income, one would need to have a very large portfolio of homes or sufficient capital to reduce the burden of financing: "You have to invest a considerable amount of money in the properties, or you have to manage it wisely so that the property can yield returns."
He acknowledged that he knows people who bought years ago and indeed make profits, but he believes that the current conditions are much less favorable for those entering the market now.
Real estate data confirms that buying a home in Miami requires a significant investment today, although it does not allow for the generalization that a property only yields a profit of 300 or 400 dollars per month. According to Redfin, the median sale price of homes in Miami was 649,570 dollars in August 2026, 2.3% higher than a year earlier.
The figures vary considerably by area. In Brickell, one of Miami's most well-known real estate markets, Realtor.com reported that in August 2026, the median price of properties sold was $615,000, while the median rent was around $3,986 per month. The advertised median price was even higher: $737,450.
Taking solely the sold price of $615,000 and the monthly rent of $3,986 as a reference, the gross annual rental income would be approximately 7.8% of the property's value. However, this figure does not reflect the net profitability for the owner: there would still be deductions for property taxes, insurance, homeowners association fees, maintenance, repairs, periods without tenants, management, and, when applicable, mortgage interest.
The situation is radically different in Cuba, where entry prices can be much lower, but there is no public system of real estate statistics comparable to the U.S. databases, making it risky to discuss an official median for Havana.
As a reference for the advertising market, the private real estate portal El Caimán currently reports 238 active properties in Havana and places the median of that inventory at around $18,500. The platform itself warns of a significant dispersion: small apartments in Centro Habana and La Habana Vieja can be advertised between $5,000 and $25,000, while properties in areas like Miramar and Playa can exceed $200,000.
Another analysis of the same platform, based on active inventory and operations that claims to have moderated, calculates a median of around $48,000 for Havana in 2026. The difference between both measurements clearly highlights the limitations of a market without standardized public statistics on actual buying and selling prices.
These risks are compounded by the physical condition of numerous properties, potential documentation or succession issues, and a legal framework that is very different from that of the United States, factors that necessitate a thorough review of ownership before any transaction.
The Cuban regime also took a step in 2026 to facilitate the economic participation of emigrants. The , approved on April 15 and published in the Official Gazette on May 5, 2026, established the immigration status of "Investors and Entrepreneurs" for Cuban citizens residing abroad who wish to participate in the island's economic model.
The regulation was part of a package that also included Decree 150/2026, which established the procedure for granting that migratory status. CiberCuba then reported on the entry into force of these provisions for Cuban investors residing abroad.
In Florida, there is also another legal element that can affect certain buyers linked to Cuba. The legislation originally passed through SB 264 designates Cuba as one of the "foreign countries of concern" and restricts certain "primary foreign entities" from acquiring properties located within 10 miles of military facilities or critical infrastructure.
According to the Florida Statutes of 2026, the definition applicable to individuals includes those who are domiciled in one of those countries and are neither U.S. citizens nor lawful permanent residents. The law provides certain exceptions, including the possibility of purchasing a residential property of up to two acres under specific immigration and location requirements. A decision from the Eleventh Circuit allowed for the enforcement of the restrictions, as CiberCuba reported in November 2025.
The debate about buying a home in Miami is not new among Cubans. Other residents have shared experiences ranging from hidden structural damage and a mortgage of $5,000 a month to cases of homes purchased at much lower prices in Cuba.
There are also examples on the opposite end. The creator Flor de Cuba closed in March 2026 the purchase of a house valued at around one million dollars in Miami, financed with the income generated from her activity on social media.
The testimony of @candysantos_01 brings back to the forefront a common question among Cubans in the diaspora: is it more advantageous to invest large amounts of capital in a home in the United States or to take advantage of the much lower prices that can be found in Cuba, accepting the very different legal, economic, and liquidity risks in return?
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