OK, looks like we are making the plunge and becoming a visionaries or maybe fools. My thinking is it will depend on whom you ask 3 years from now.

So my question is for someone moving across the country, what do you know now after living in the community for a while that you wish you knew before you moved in. Looking for your thoughts/ideas/rants on

~ best local sites/things to do
~ best companies/services that you have used -- grocery stores, banks, restaurants, local hangouts, landscapers (need to do our backyard)
~ things to avoid -- crazy cat lady, dog poop in the "natural areas" , hoa
~ any else I didn't ask -- i.e. run like hades or your love it.