Depending on how friendly you are with your neighbors, let them park one of their vehicles in your drive near the garage at different intervals. When they do that, ask them to pick up your mail or newspaper and put it into a basket provided for them. We used to do that for one of our neighbors. I do that for a friend of mine when she goes out of town. Sometimes I'll stay longer than other times. I tend to her cat. Always good to know your neighbors to a certain extent. Co workers you can trust. In a remote area where your neighbors are not so close, I would definitely invest in security systems. Empty houses invite trouble. If you know the owner or don't know the owner, I would make an effort to find out about the house situation. Whoever takes care of the yard of the empty house maybe they will mow your yard also or have a trusted friend mow it. I would have a housekeeping company come in and clean once every 3-4 weeks. It will get dusty. An "empty house" is an open invitation for vandalism and theft. Lock away all valuables in a lockbox at your financial institution (bank/credit union).