This Web site is aimed at helping Cubans share information about home exchanges (homes for swap), a practice known in Cuba as permutas.

This is actually an alternative real estate Web site, specially designed for use in Cuba. It does not include ads about homes for sale as this activity is not permitted in Cuba. Instead, we provide means for Cubans to publish specific information about the house they offer, as well as details about the house they are seeking. This is how it works in Cuba if you are interested in changing your neighborhood, if you are divorcing, or giving up your share of a property when you and a relative are legal co-owners. In these situations, Cubans can exchange their home (or share thereof) with another Cuban. No money should be accepted from any of the parties involved. When there are obvious differences in aesthetic quality, Cubans generally agree on making repairs or whatever is needed to comply with the requirements of the other party.

Strict government regulations stipulate that the homes exchanged must be considered of "equal value", otherwise the exchange will not be valid and hence not approved by the Instituto de la Vivienda. Although this term "equal value" is relative, the complex permutas system even allows Cubans to offer one home and get two apartments in return, or vice versa.

Here at SePermuta.com, we allow Cubans to freely publish their permutas online, allowing them to even add photos of their homes. Considering the transportation problems, this greatly helps Cubans in their search by offering a preview of the available homes, thereby minimizing the chance of travelling to see properties that do not meet expectations.

Our Web site went online in June 2004 and since then, more than 18000 permutas have been published here. Before that, Cubans had no effective means to find that information. This can turn out to be very complex because when Cubans need to exchange their homes, they have to: (1) learn what is available on the exchange market; (2) find out who is offering a home like the one they seek; and (3) discover whether or not their home is of the type that the other party is expecting. Although the transaction is essentially a straight exchange, the process itself can be very complex due to the large amount of requirements involved, most of which (if not all) must be matched (number of bedrooms, type of home, location, garage, construction year and type... you name it!). For this reason, it ends up being extremely difficult and almost improbable for two people to meet without a Web site like ours. This is what makes our SePermuta Web site a special contact point for Cubans willing to exchange their homes.

Our forms for both publishing and searching permutas are designed in deep detail, allowing Cubans to add all the significant information that will be used later to filter the results in the searches.

For searching we have both the Directory and the Advanced search Form. The Directory lets you navigate through provinces, municipalities and neighborhoods to simply take note of the permutas published there. The filtering in the Directory is very broad. For a more specific search, you must use the Advanced search Form instead.

There are actually other ways to post a permuta ad in Cuba: (1) in a segment of a TV program that lasts five minutes twice a week; and (2) on several radio stations. Besides that, there is also a public place in Havana's park of "El Prado" where Cubans gather each day (including every Saturday morning) and try to meet other people offering homes whereby the requirements of both parties match. Either way, would you limit your exposure to radio announcements or a brief mention on TV twice a week? No way! The Internet is here to do that job for us 24/7!

The term "Se Permuta" is well known in Cuba to mean "home for swap". This is just like the Spanish term in Spanish "Se Vende", meaning "For Sale". As you can see in our photo gallery, "Se Permuta" are the two words that most Cubans use when they decide to hang a sign in front of their houses, to let others know that their property is available for swap.

Our Web site SePermuta.com has become very popular among Cubans and in their comments and testimonials (sorry, only available in Spanish), they tend to be very thankful and surprised to find a free service in the Internet in today´s Cuba.

If you have a Cuban friend who is interested in our service, you should recommend that he/she visit our site. You could even publish the permuta on his/her behalf and use your friend´s contact information (phone, home address or e-mail in Havana) so they can be contacted directly by other Cubans who might be interested in their permuta ad.

If you have any question regarding permutas in Cuba, feel free to contact us.

English version provided by:
Mr. Neil Kelly
Creative Edge Communications
www.Creative-Edge-On.ca