The DO’s and DON’T’s of Successful Small Town Living

Before I get into the guts of restoring the Laura Hawkins house, some of you may be yearning for a Rockwellian piece of pie and figuring how best to go about it.

If you are contemplating owning your own private Hannibal or whatever town you fancy, here are some things I’ve learned and witnessed and want to pass along to you.

	DO:	Bring your (portable) job or business with you.	DON’T:	Arrive in a small town and expect to get a decent-paying job.
	DO:	Understand that the scale of economies will dictate that you and you alone will be the manager and funder of your grandiose restoration dream.	DON’T:	Announce grandiose plans to resurrect a local landmark and expect money & support to flow from every conceivable pore in town.
	DO:	Keep a low profile for the benefit of naturally suspicious locals.	DON’T:	Flaunt your freakish lifestyle and not expect to get your freak run out of town.
	DO:	Keep your house or other assets in your big city until you are 100% sure you want to fly for good.	DON’T:	Abandon your safety net and safe retreat and sell everything you own to live in a small town.
	DO:	Understand that there is a bit of “lawlessness” in a small town.	DON’T:	Call the cops everytime your neighbors fight or park the wrong way on your street.
	DO:	Conduct yourself outside the house as if everyone is watching – because someone is, and that means everyone will know what you did.	DON’T:	Do something that will cause folks to talk trash about you. If you do, it will be your signature for life – just like "that girl who had an illegitimate kid" 25 years ago. Nobody will forget.
	DO:	Accept the S_L_O_W_E_R pace of life.	DON’T:	Expect your neighbor, friend, or contractor to come to your place at your agreed-upon time, pronto.
	DO:	Attend social events and get involved, as there can never be enough volunteers.	DON’T:	Be that hermit or mean ol’ man who never talks to anyone.

Get it? Got it? Good.