Fastest Growing Suburbs ...

The 'Burb Rush: Fastest Growing Suburbs

People are leaving the cities and moving to where the cost of living is lower and where they perceive the quality of life is higher. That’s the trend indicated this week by the U.S. Census Bureau when it released an analysis of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. The statistics reflect the period from April 1, 2000, to July 1, 2006, a time when interest rates were historically low, housing boomed, and home prices soared, particularly in metropolitan areas.At the same time, businesses and people packed up and moved to greener pastures, many of them in the Sun Belt. Texas, Florida, and Georgia boast some of the largest growth stories. Here are the top 10 fastest-growing counties and the percentage they grew by in that six-year time span:

1. Flagler County, Fla.: 66.7 percent. On the Atlantic Coast between Jacksonville and Daytona Beach, Flagler's population has boomed from 50,000 in 2000 to more than 83,000 last year. Its seaside location, balmy weather, and access to Interstate 95 are part of the reason for its boom.

2. Kendall County, Ill.: 61.7 percent. The Chicago suburbs that lie along Interstate 88 are all growing, but Kendall County, which is farther from the city, is growing the fastest.

3. Rockwall County, Texas: 60.5 percent. Rockwall, the smallest county in Texas, grew from 43,000 in 2000 to 69,000 in 2006, as people moved farther from nearby Dallas-Fort Worth.

4. Loudoun County, Va.: 58.5 percent. Loudoun's growth is partially due to the increasingly astronomical cost of living in nearby Washington, D.C.


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Existing Homes Sales Post Gains but ...

Existing-Home Sales Post 'Surprising' GainsTotal existing-home sales rose strongly in February, reaching the highest level since last April, NAR says. Find out what's happening by region.Read more >

Existing Home Sales Rose in January

Sales of existing homes rose in January, reaching the highest level in seven months, according to NAR. Total existing-home sales--including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops--increased 3.0% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.46 million units in January from an upwardly revised pace of 6.27 million in December. Sales were 4.3% below the 6.75 million-unit level in January 2006. David Lereah, NAR's chief economist, said observers shouldn't overreact to the sales gain, or to other short-term effects. "Although we’re expecting existing-home sales to gradually rise this year, and buyers are responding to the price correction, some unusually warm weather helped boost sales in January," he said. "On the flip side, the winter storms that disrupted so much of the country in February could negatively impact the housing market." (Source: NAR) Full Story . . .