Commercial Truck Insurance in Hialeah, FL

Memorial Healthcare System has opened a primary care facility in Hialeah, its first health care center in that city.

While MHS is part of the South Broward Hospital District, it does have operations in other counties that are self-sustaining and not supported by taxpayer dollars, which make up only a small part of the health system’s funding. MHS already has a primary care center in Aventura, so this marks its second location in Miami-Dade County.

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Located at 8649 N.W. 186th St., the Memorial Primary Care center in Hialeah totals 6,000 square feet and has 16 employees. It is led by Dr. Luis Santana Lopez.

“I’ve been practicing for more than 20 years,” he stated. “I treasure the opportunity to help patients heal and provide comfort when they are facing some of their most vulnerable moments.”

MHS Chief Community Officer Melida Akiti noted that nearly 15% of its patient volume is from northwest Miami-Dade, so the primary care center will provide those patients with more convenient access.

Meanwhile, MHS is slated to open its first urgent care center in Miami-Dade when it adds that facility to its Aventura center in October.

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The City of Hialeah wants to establish law and order by preventing the illegal rental of mobile homes as alternative housing in the face of the affordable housing crisis.

“There are many people who are taking advantage of Hialeah, people who do not live in the city, thinking that Hialeah is the Wild West,” Mayor Esteban Bovo Jr. said Tuesday as the City Council approved an ordinance to restrict the use of mobile homes and boats in the city.

Council President Jesus Tundidor, sponsor of the ordinance, said it is a “victory for public safety,” highlighting that the law seeks to protect property owners in Hialeah.

“People who have worked their entire lives to own a home are now being forced to live next to illegal rented mobile homes,” Tundidor explained. “Hialeah is not a third-world country, it is a working class community.”

Although Bovo cautioned that he does not know how many RVs are being rented as housing in Hialeah, he estimates that if there are 198 recreational vehicles registered to people living in Hialeah with the Florida Department of Vehicles, “there must be at least twice as many in violation [of the law.]”

The ordinance, which the Council unanimously supported earlier this month, received final approval by a 4 to 2 vote. Jesus Tundidor, Monica Perez, Jacqueline Garcia-Roves and Carl Zogby voted in favor of the new law, and Bryan Calvo and Angelica Pacheco voted in opposition. (Luis Rodriguez was absent.)

The mayor told el Nuevo Herald that “the councilors who voted against this ordinance are turning their backs on the residents who are property owners.”

According to Bovo, renting mobile homes as housing poses a safety risk and threatens to increase property insurance costs.

Here’s what the new ordinance does:

▪ Every recreational vehicle, including boats and vessels, has to be registered with the City, and the owner has to sign an affidavit that it will not be offered for occupancy.

▪ Prohibits RV’s to be placed in backyards but allows to be placed on the side yard (at a length of up to 33 feet ) or front yard of the property (at a length of up to 24 feet). If the RV it is parked in the front yard, the RV must be parked perpendicular.

▪ The owner of the RV has to own the property or be a close relative of the property owner.

▪ Prohibits RV’s, commercial vehicles and boats and vessels to be parked on a property that was developed as a duplex, has a zero lot line or is multi-family.

▪ Limits quantity: only one RV and boat can be parked on property zoned residential.

▪ Prohibits the RVs to be connected to water and sewer lines unless for the purpose of a flush out, for a length of no more than 30 minutes.

If an inspector determines that the ordinance is being violated, the owner will be informed that their electrical service, as well as water and sewage, will be suspended — as recently happened to a septuagenarian couple who were breaking the law. (Councilwoman Perez requested an amendment to promptly inform residents of what will happen if they fail to comply with the rule.)

▪ Provides for a 60 day grace period from the time the Ordinance becomes effective for residents to comply. The grace period can be extend it for another 60 days.

Those who fail to comply with the regulations and receive notification from the city will have to pay a fine of $500 per day until ordinance compliance.

Before voting against the ordinance, Pacheco asked the council if there was any plan in the city to help families relying on the now-illegal rent for income with some type of social assistance that prevents them from being left without a roof over their heads.

“There are many families that are in need. They are very vulnerable, low income. I am concerned that we do not know exactly how many people are going to be affected,” Pacheco said.

The mayor explained to Pacheco that Hialeah’s budget is limited. “We can not sustain a social program. If we do we would have to cut the program later or take money from another program,” Bovo said.

Councilwoman Perez assured that Hialeah’s Grants Department has a Community Solution Team that could offer affected residents help.

Councilman Calvo, who has consistently been opposed to Bovo’s policies and just lost a lawsuit against the mayor, indicated that he voted against the ordinance because he does not agree with restricting the number of boats and commercial vehicles that can be parked in the city.

Although there are restrictions on the parking of commercial vehicles, such as the prohibition of parking them in duplexes and multi-family homes, the mayor assured that his goal with this ordinance is to concentrate efforts on preventing people from continuing to rent RVs as a housing alternative.

“I don’t want people to believe that the government is behind them, we know there is a crisis, the focus is on what they are renting RVs to live in,” Bovo said.

The ordinance will come into force as soon as the mayor signs it “in a couple of days”.

From that moment on, the inspectors will have the power to enforce the law, but the city only has seven code inspectors.

On the first reading of the ordinance the mayor promised to increase the number of employees to enforce the law.

At that time, Bovo said he would hire additional code inspectors and require them to work nights and weekends to prevent “Hialeah from becoming a ghetto.”

In this regard, he indicated now that they are going to develop a plan to enforce the regulations, without specifying details.

It was the biggest industrial transaction in Miami-Dade County in 2023. Six warehouses in Hialeah were snagged for $174.3 million, but the buyer wasn’t a major corporation or manufacturer. It was the Mormon Church.

It’s not yet clear what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church, plans to do with the massive warehouse space. But the Utah-based church is already one of Florida’s largest private landowners, with holdings that include a sprawling Central Florida ranch and a huge swath of timberland in the Panhandle.

The purchase is an investment play, said Chris Spear, a principal at the brokerage firm ComReal. He said, “The Mormon Church is one of the largest real estate investors in the U.S.”

Property Reserve, an investment branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, purchased the 1.3-million-square-foot site at Beacon Logistics Park from Coral Gables-based Codina Partners.

The sale was confirmed by real estate records, commercial real estate analytic firm CoStar and real estate investment firm Colliers.

The industrial park at 4220 W. 91st Ter., just west of Interstate 75, features six buildings ranging from 129,000 square feet to 232,620 square feet.

While it’s the biggest deal in 2023 for Miami-Dade, it’s not the biggest in South Florida. Real estate private equity firm Longpoint Partners’ $262 million purchase of a Deerfield Beach industrial park in Broward County takes that distinction.

But the LDS church’s purchase still surpasses the $113 million sale of the Bridge Point Cold Logistics Center in Hialeah. The cold storage warehouse was sold to Pontegadea, the same Spanish investment firm run by Amancio Ortega, co-founder of clothing chain Zara.

Though the church’s plans aren’t clear, one commercial real estate expert said the recent transactions show demand remains high for warehouse space in South Florida, given the state’s population boom and growth of online shopping and home deliveries.

Buyers have an “insatiable appetite” for warehouses in South Florida, said Steven Wasserman, international vice president at Colliers. “E-commerce has changed the world. Whether you want to buy a sweater at Macy’s in the store or have it delivered to your house that has changed everything,” Wasserman said. “E-commerce is stronger than ever.”

Codina Partners and representatives of Property Reserve did not respond to multiple interview requests from the Miami Herald.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of Florida’s largest private landowners, owning more than 2 percent of its landmass, according to reporting from The Salt Lake Tribune.

The church has owned Deseret Ranches, a 290,000-acre cattle and citrus farm spanning three counties in Central Florida and located about 50 miles from Orlando International Airport, for over 60 years. Farmland Reserve, Inc., a nonprofit entity of the church with headquarters in Salt Lake City, purchased the Florida farmland in 1950. The Deseret Ranches website says the ranch “serves as an agricultural investment and resource to support the Church’s charitable efforts.” The website also says the ranch pays property taxes, unlike religious institutions, and supports the local economy.

In 2013, the LDS church made another major land purchase: 400,000 acres in Florida’s Panhandle region, for $565 million, according to Reuters. Land purchases such as these are made through church-owned businesses such as Property Reserve, Farmland Reserve and AgReserves Inc.

The Church of Latter-day Saints has 267 congregations across Florida, 19 of which are in Miami-Dade County. There are roughly 22,470 members in Broward and Miami-Dade County, according to a 2020 report from The Association of Religion Data Archives.

The LDS church grew to over 17 million members and 31,000 congregations worldwide in 2023. Latter-day Saints believe that there will be a Second Coming of Christ, and that those who have obeyed certain religious covenants on Earth will ”return to live with God and their families forever,” according to the LDS website.

The church’s website outlines certain tenets that seem reflected in the accumulation of real estate. It states that a large part of LDS culture is welfare and learning to become self-reliant, or being able to take care of the spiritual and physical needs of themselves, their families and their communities. That can include starting their own business, being wise with finances or accumulating resources to prepare for uncertain times. The LDS church also operates resource storehouses or “Bishops’ Storehouses,” which are like supermarkets without the till, and are paid for by donations from church members. There are 260 facilities across the country that offer food and household products to anyone — in or outside of the church — who is struggling. The idea is that, should the world descend into chaos, LDS members will be prepared to weather the storm.

This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.

This story was originally published January 6, 2024, 2:28 PM.

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A sign on a busy Hialeah Street advertises an RV for rent. On social media sites, the NBC6 Investigators found several ads offering mobile homes for rent, calling them apartments.

Our team found mobile homes in Opa-Locka, Miami Gardens and Miami being advertised for $1,000 a month each. In Homestead, we found a mobile home advertised as a "house" for $1,200 and in Hialeah, there were ads renting RVs for $1,350 and $1,650 for a two-bedroom.

Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo has been raising a red flag about the practice for months.

"It's an illegal use of the RV. In many cases, they may have more than one at their house and it's affecting the quality of life of the neighborhoods," Bovo said.

"Rents are very high and everyone comes together to help each other out," said Randy Oliva, who lives near the for rent sign we found in Hialeah.

According to a recent Wallethub study, Hialeah, Miami and Fort Lauderdale are some of the least affordable real estate markets in the country based on income and rental costs.

While Oliva doesn’t seem to mind people renting out RVs, he does say some property owners go overboard renting several mobile homes. Driving around Hialeah, the NBC6 Investigators found a home with three RVs parked in the yard.

Willians Guerra, the Hialeah Fire Chief, said turning an RV into a permanent dwelling in someone’s backyard is a safety hazard.

"It creates an access issue," Guerra said.

"There's also a question of gas being stored in these vehicles…connection to water and sewer, electrical lines being connected to it," Bovo said. "There's a host of issues that we should be concerned with, and we shouldn't be turning a blind eye because there's a housing crisis in the city."

The mayor says he’s considering limiting the number of recreational vehicles that can be parked at a home, including mobile homes and boats, and not allowing them to be in the backyard where inspectors can’t see them.

“We want people to have their RVs and their boats, and we want them to use it for leisure activity," Bovo said. "They've earned the right. What we don't want them to turn that into a housing complex, single-family residence."

South Florida isn’t the only place where mobile homes are being used as permanent dwellings due to the lack of affordable solutions. Several cities in California have been dealing with lines of RVs parked on the side of residential streets. Although California has the most favorable laws for mobile home parking, the city of San Francisco plans on imposing four-hour parking restrictions on some of the streets lined by RVs beginning Dec. 19.

What is the best internet provider in Hialeah?

For most households in Hialeah, Xfinity is the best internet service provider. In addition to providing service to most Hialeah residents, Xfinity offers many speed tiers for customers. AT&T Fiber and T-Mobile Home Internet are also solid picks for home internet if Xfinity isn’t available at your address.

We also found the top options if you’re hunting for the lowest prices or the fastest speeds. Xfinity offers two of the cheapest plans in Hialeah: $20 for 75 megabits per second and $35 for 200Mbps. For the speediest service, check out AT&T Fiber. This provider offers 2 gigabits and 5 gigabits for $150 and $250, respectively.

Our methodology

CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Hialeah across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers' terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.

Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your particular options is to plug your address into a provider's website.

Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider's pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the text is specific to what's available in Hialeah. The prices referenced within this article's text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month -- a standard industry offering. Other discounts and promotions might also be available for things like signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services.

To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.

Best internet in Hialeah, Florida

3 Internet providers

Best internet provider in Hialeah

Our take - This national cable provider offers service to 97% of the city, according to the FCC, meaning that it’s most likely a broadband option at your address. Customers can choose from plans costing as low as $20 for 75Mbps up to $100 for 2,000Mbps. Although Xfinity doesn’t enforce a data cap or make you sign a contract, you must pay $15 for equipment or provide your own.

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Connection

Cable

Speed range

150 - 6,000 Mbps

Price range

$20 - $300 per month

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Best fiber internet in Hialeah

Our take - Though the FCC reports that AT&T is available to just under 80% of Hialeah households, about half that number is covered by AT&T’s DSL network, not fiber. Still, AT&T Fiber offers five plans: 300Mbps for $55, 500Mbps for $65, 1,000Mbps for $80, 2,000Mbps for $150 and 5,000Mbps for $250. There are no data caps, monthly equipment fees or required contracts for any of its plans.

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Connection

Fiber

Speed range

300 - 5,000 Mbps

Price range

$55 - $250 per month

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Best fixed wireless internet in Hialeah

Our take - This provider is the best option for people who want simple home broadband. Offering only one plan, for $50 per month -- or $30 if you’re an eligible mobile customer -- T-Mobile Home Internet reaches speeds up to 245Mbps. Unlimited data is included in the cost, and customers don’t have to sign an annual contract or pay a monthly equipment fee.

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Connection

Fixed wireless

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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Hialeah

The best internet deals and top promotions in Hialeah depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.

Hialeah internet providers, such as Xfinity, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, however, including AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What's a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines -- and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Hialeah

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike with the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. So what’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information, drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

But it doesn’t end there. We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

Though the answers to those questions are often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, but we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and the FCC .

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.