Even if Charlie wasn't a U.S. citizen, there are some things he'd have to consider before obtaining a house in Cuba. First, when Castro took over in the 1960's he made all property government property. This means that nobody actually owns a house in Cuba. Instead, a house can be leased from the government for a period of 75 years.
Because of the practices of the Cuban government, the price for a lease on a house is generally based on the income of the leaser, not the value of the house. The person would lease the house for a price of around 10% of his income paid over 20-30 years, just like a mortgage in the U.S. Then, the property would belong to that individual for a period of 75 years.
