Code Of The West

“Don’t squat with yer spurs on!” is part of the old cowboy  version of The Code Of The West that is filled with humorous and practical statements. Some time ago, Stevens County Commissioners took it upon themselves to provide a document with the same title but with different intent and content (www.co.stevens.wa.us/pressrelease/press/CodeOfTheWest.pdf).

It may have been a subtle attempt to offer some humor for their seasoned citizens, but the real intent was to enlighten those who move to the county from the city who don’t have the skills or practical know-how that country living requires. The prologue says, “In keeping with the values of self-reliance, we offer this information to help the citizens of Stevens County who wish to follow in the footsteps of those rugged individualists by living outside city limits. It is important for you to know that life in the country is different from life in the city. County governments are not able to provide the same level of service that city governments provide.”

Some of the other paragraphs include information about property access and road maintenance, weather, emergency response, school buses, natural disasters, utilities, wells and septic systems, trash removal, mother nature and wildlife depredation, forest fires, topography, and even the fact that logging trucks can disturb your sleep and some agricultural activities cause dust and smells.

The list goes on and on. To savvy country folk, this list seems ridiculously obvious, but it is sincerely intended to be a valuable resource for newcomers. I encourage all readers to go to the link listed above and take a look at this document. It is very well written and quite comprehensive in terms of listing the myriad of topics that are important for consideration if someone is moving to the country.

I received an email today from a client who jokingly commented that I didn’t do my duty as a Realtor® because I failed to inform them of the cold weather they would encounter by moving to this region of the state.  Evidently the onset of cold weather had given them a bit of buyer’s remorse! Of course it is impossible for your Realtor® to inform you of every possible topic that you will encounter in your new location, so it is important that new rural buyers to do their own research on topics such as listed in the County’s Code of The West.

Jim Palmer, Jr.
509-953-1666
www.JimPalmerJr.com

See my blogs at:
www.RealEstateMarketPlc.com
Two Multiple Listing Services
Professional Representation for Buyers & Sellers
Residential • Acreage • Residential Acreage
Waterfront • Ranch • Farm