Hialeah Real Estate: The City of Progress

Hialeah is the fifth largest city in Florida and is part of Miami-Dade County. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area and also the Greater South Florida metropolitan area. Supposedly the name “Hialeah” has been derived from Muskogee origin. The name’s literal meaning is “pretty prairie”. The derivation of the name can also be attributed to Seminole origin in which its meaning is “upland prairie”. Both the names seem to be justified since the city is set on a large prairie that stands between Biscayne Bay and the Everglades.

The city was incorporated in 1925 and history of the place before and after has differed strongly. In the 1920’s, Hialeah was city for which entertainment was the be-all and end-all. This trend of partying was brought to an end with the hurricane that struck the city in 1926. Since 1925, Hialeah has rapidly increased in terms of population from 1500 to more than 236,000. This city is known to contain the maximum number of Cubans in the United States. Spanish is the first language in the city and the only other language spoken is English. The world famous Hialeah Park Race Track is a must see in a visit to this city.

Since it is positioned in the north western part of Dade, Hialeah’s transportation facilities are really good. The city has access to all the major thoroughfares and is linked by I-75 and the Palmetto. Both the Miami International Airport and the Opa-Locka Airport serve this region and make it more viable for investors. Within the city premises, Amtrak, Tri-Rail and Metro rail provide good connectivity. Hialeah real estate is small but it is one of the most popular places to live in all of Miami-Dade County second only to Kendall.

Raul Martinez was the city’s long time extremely popular and beloved major. He never lost an election and was in office for 24 years. Martinez and his friend, current major Julio Robaina provided overwhelming affordable housing for the city’s residents. The Miami-Dade Public Schools district serves the region of Hialeah. The city has a major network of schools and institutes of higher education. It is home to the Miami Dade College Hialeah Campus which has for a long time sponsored various cultural events.

The economy of this city has thrived for long on the plastic manufacturing industry and the metal industry. The role of the most prominent employer of the region is played by the Miami International Airport. The settling of a vibrant Cuban community in the area has ensured that more tourists come to the place and help in the growth of the tourism sector. Thanks to the existence of the Miami International Airport the city is coming out of its industrial shell and fast becoming an active hub of financial activities. Many major corporations are headquartered in Hialeah and this poses attractive job prospects to many aspirants. A developing economy automatically points to the fact that the real estate market is also improving gradually. The total housing units in the city are about 45,000 amongst which around 54% is owner occupied.

Hialeah Real Estate has slowed down since record breaking highs in recent years. This national correction was expected. Average price is 8,000 with over 1,100 homes for sale. Lago Grande, Westhaven Heights and El Prado by the Lake are some of the communities. Hialeah shares a zip code with Miami Lakes, its more affluent neighbor. This causes a big confusion as many parts of Miami Lakes and surrounding areas are erroneously called Hialeah. There are many foreclosures in the market and it is now the correct time to take advantage of this opportunity. Hialeah real estate will progress in the middle of 2008.