You have obviously explored your new town, since you have purchased a home there. But even if your new town is near your present one, it is different, so do some armchair homework to become as well acquainted with it as possible before you arrive there.

Subscribe to the Sunday edition of the newspaper in that community, if it is different from the one you read now, or check it out on the web. Reading the paper is one of the best homework steps you can take. It will give you an idea of jobs available and their salaries. You will see what nationwide store chains are operating in that community, and, in the social pages, you will become familiar with the names of schools and social and religious groups you may later want to join.

Perhaps more important, you will find in the news pages of that paper a sense of how the community functions, so you can hit the ground running when you arrive. You can get up-to-the-minute news on zoning or school battles, job downsizing, or an infusion of federal aid coming to perk up the place.

You can find the name, address, and circulation figures of any newspaper in the country by consulting the Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media. It is in the reference department at most public libraries.

Write to this office in the new town, too, or check out the local community on the web. Request information; they can send you reams of printed material that will round out your picture of the community. Ask for the newcomer's package. You can also query them about any other matter of special interest to you, such as jobs in your field of interest, schools for those with disabilities, nearby golf courses, and the like. These folks are naturally going to be great boosters of the town, so keep their enthusiasm in mind when you are evaluating the package.

If you are moving to a new state, write to department of tourism at the state capital, or check them out on the web. You might do that even if you are just moving to another corner of the same state. Ask for material on your favorite sport or outdoor activity, for example, boating, camping, cycling, or visiting historic sites and state parks. It might be nice to know what fun activities are waiting out there for you after you are done with the stress and fatigue of moving.