Rockwall is the smallest county in the state of Texas, yet it’s the 2nd wealthiest for median income! With a population of approximately 29,500 people in a 22.6 square mile radius, Rockwall has emerged from obscurity to be recognized as one of the best places to live according to Family Circle Magazine.

The Mayor of Rockwall is Bill Cecil and his commitment to Rockwall has been unprecedented. He takes pride in the people and the community that’s made Rockwall “the best city with a small town feel.” Cecil was elected mayor of Rockwall 5 years ago after serving on the City council. He’s originally from Norfolk, Virginia, retired from the Air Force Reserves after 39 years of service and the Department of Defense at Bell Helicopter. He accepted a position with E-Systems (now L3) in Greenville and moved his family to Rockwall based on the advice of a friend.

Since his move to Rockwall many years ago, Mayor Cecil has been an advocate for improving the quality of life in Rockwall. He serves on a number of subcommittees such as Chair of the Harbor Tax Incentive Board, Chair of the Rockwall County Emergency Services and Certification, involvement in the Women’s League, and the Arts and Preservation of Historic Downtown Rockwall.

In addition, Mayor Cecil has been focused on community improvement. He shared with me some exciting news about a new project called “Hill Above the Harbor”. This 65 acre mixed use development will be the “Entryway to Rockwall” with class “A” offices, single family condo’s, restaurants, and unique shopping (you can get more information regarding this planned development by contacting the City of Rockwall). The Mayor has been successful in securing transportation and road improvement dollars. As a result, new construction of John King Blvd. as an option for Hwy. 205 will begin March 2010 and will provide easy access for North and South Rockwall.

The benefits of living and working in Rockwall are many. Rockwall is known for luxury lakefront living, but it also has various economic levels of housing, a wide variety of restaurants, shopping, a winery, three state-of-the-art hospitals and one of the best school districts in the state. Mayor Cecil has accomplished many things during his term as Mayor and believes we all have a responsibility to give back to the community and improving the quality of life for everyone.

First American CoreLogic estimates that about 0.9 percent of Dallas-area homes with mortgages were in foreclosure in December. That’s up from 0.8 percent in December 2007.

During 2008 more than 50,000 North Texas homes were posted for foreclosure — a new record and 17 percent more than in 2007.

The highest rates of foreclosure are in southern Dallas County.

Although rates are up in Dallas, they are still dramatically below the 1.7 percent of U.S. mortgages in foreclosure at the end of December.

The family owned business of San Martino Winery located on the outskirts of Rockwall, Texas is just the place to find that one-of-a-kind experience! San Martino is owned and operated by Maria Perez & Emilio Ramos who opened the Winery in Spring 2004. The village of San Martino located northwest of Spain has been producing wine for hundreds of years. It was in this region of Spain that Emilio learned the family art of wine making that he so graciously brought to establish within the Rockwall community.

San Martino prides itself in producing handcrafted wines through modern techniques. The grapes for the wine are predominately grown in the Texas area (87% Texas grown), making it a true Texas product! They produce a wide array of wines for every occasion. This quaint winery offers tasting & food pairing events on a regular basis, as well as ocassional live music. Check-out their website for tasting & event times.

Maria Perez loves living and working in Rockwall. She explains that the people in the area are the reason she calls the Rockwall area her home. The heritage of San Martino is rich, yet humble. The owners of San Martino know they are not the largest Winery in Texas; however, their mission is to be the BEST Winery in Texas. With all the awards they’ve won so far, I would say they’re on their way to accomplishing their goal. Be sure to visit San Martino and try a glass of one of their award winning wines. It’s a relaxing and enjoyable experience!

San Martino is located at 1512 Hwy 205 North, Rockwall, TX 75087
Phone: 972-772-6043
http://sanmartinowinery.com

The following are population estimates by city:

• (Fate) - The population of the City of Fate increased by 850 people to 5,650, an increase of 17.71 percent.
• (Rockwall) - The population of the City of Rockwall increased by an estimated 700 people to 32,100, an increase of 2.23 percent.
• (Royse City) - The population of the City of Royse City increased by 50 people to 10,150, an increase of 0.5 percent.

There is normally a variance between the U.S. Census Bureau and NCTCOG estimates because of several factors. They include:

• The Census Bureau estimates are for the year ending July 2008, while the NCTCOG estimates are for the year ending December 2008;
• The Census Bureau methodology is based on births, deaths, net domestic migration, and net international migration;
• The NCTCOG methodology is based on building permits, occupancy factors and household size factors.