by Simons Chase
Anticipation in Havana has been building for years as US President Obama has steadily re-built a relationship with Cuba. At the same time, Raul Castro, who took over as President of Cuba after his brother Fidel retired in 2008, has loosened restrictions for real estate trading by expanding permitted transfers to include outright sales. Previously, transfers were permitted only in the case of cashless exchanges.
The US-Cuba relationship building has translated into a small but promising real estate building and reconstruction boom fueled by Cuban-American cash and domestic demand for housing.
These images were captured in Old Havana and surrounding neighborhoods including Vedado.
