The DFW Area holds 3 of the top 30 Fastest Growing Counties in the last decade!

The Dallas-Fort Worth area added more new residents last year than any other metropolitan area in the country, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released Tuesday! With DFW welcoming a whopping 147,000 people during a 12 month period starting in July 2008 topping all other major cities in Texas, including Houston.

Most of our fellow Dallasites are making their way to Rockwall County, which ranked as the third-fastest-growing county in the country during the last decade. Their populating has nearly doubled since 2000. Good jobs and better-than-elsewhere economy are drawing people to Texas, experts say. "We have had a very vibrant economy with a diverse set of industries," Murdock said. "When you have the kind of population growth we've had, you don't have it without having economic growth."

Along with Rockwall County, Collin, Denton and Kaufman County are also in the DFW area and have all ranked in the top 40 Nation wide county's for growth in the last decade.

$6,500 Tax Credit... Don't let the time run out!

The $6,500 tax credit for home owners who are "trading up" is getting close to the expiration date. The latest version of the plan allows folks who already own a primary residence the option of utilizing a $6,500 tax credit - as opposed to the $8,000 credit that is only for first-time buyers - toward the purchase of another home. This $6,500 tax credit for home owners is a great incentive to change your primary residence, if you were already considering it.

But are you eligible to receive the $6,500 tax credit for home buyers? Check your status against these criteria amassed by The Washington Post:

1. You've owned and resided in your current home for a consecutive five out of the past eight years, and your adjusted household income doesn't exceed $125,000 if you file taxes singly, $225,000 if you are married filing jointly.

2. Whatever you intend to purchase, the home cannot cost more than $800,000.

3. The replacement home must become your main residence. There is no requirement in the legislation that you sell your current home.

4. Like the first-time-buyer credit, the $6,500 verson permits a broad range of dwelling types for your purchase. These included newly constructed or existing single-family homes, condominiums, manufactured or mobile homes, and boats that function as your principal residence.

5. Home buyers who go to closing between Nov. 6 and Dec 31 can claim the $6,500 credit on their 2009 federal tax returns or amend their 2008 returns.

If you were planning to change your primary residence anyway, and can close by the June 30, 2010 expiration date, why not take the free $6,500? The financial benefits of this federal housing tax credit are legion, as you can save money by downgrading to a cheaper home, and/or use your original property to generate rental income.