HOUSING

Our purpose is not to cover every area or question regarding housing, but to offer an idea of the common channels for housing solutions. Canton and Potsdam are the two main centers of housing in this area, although a significant number of faculty and staff choose to live outside of these two places.

When deciding where to live, the first question you will face is “in town or out of town.” Living in the countryside offers the prospect of peace and quite, beautiful scenery and wildlife, and the sense that you’re really away from work when you go home. You’re also likely to have a lower tax bill living out of town. However, you may pay for all of these advantages with challenging winter driving, a sense of isolation, and the aroma of neighbors fertilizing their cornfields. Living in town, on the other hand, offers proximity to work and activities (even a short commute can get very burdensome if you have school-age children, according to some faculty), as well as village services like water, sewer, and gas.

Renting

Canton is not a renter’s market. Potsdam has more renting options and services, but is ten miles from campus. Downtown Potsdam is larger than Canton with more retail and restaurant choices.

Apartments: To emphasize, Canton is not a renter’s market. There are more rentals in Potsdam and surrounding villages than there are in Canton. Nonetheless, there are some landlords in the village that rent units, apartments being more common than houses. We suggest consulting the local newspapers cited below, or contacting a local realtor to gauge the situation.

Buying

Houses: Those interested in purchasing a house would do well to consult the most prominent realtors in Canton and Potsdam:

Note that all real estate agents are the seller’s agent, unless you as the buyer agree to pay them a commission to represent your interests. Jeff Thayer of Segar Real Estate helped Karl Schonberg find a house in the area, and was an invaluable resource throughout the process.

The university also offers housing loans to faculty and staff for the purpose of assisting in financing their first home purchased in the Canton area. The loan application is generally for $5,000; however, with valid reason, you may apply for the maximum amount of $7,500 (consult the Faculty Handbook, or call Anne Chism 229- 5656).

If you are a first-time home buyer, there are good books and internet resources that describe the process, and it is extremely helpful seeking advice from other faculty, especially those who have recently purchased a house.

Home prices in this area vary considerably, but in general if you are coming from an urban or suburban area anywhere in the United States, you will probably find that your house buying dollar goes much further in the North Country than it would have in your previous location. Resale values are likely to be lower than elsewhere too, of course, but one great advantage of working at St. Lawrence is the prospect of living in a more comfortable home with a smaller mortgage than you would be able to nearly anywhere else.

In and around Canton there are a variety of home styles, from newer houses to Victorian and Greek-revival homes dating to the 19th century. There are also many properties on the banks of the rivers running through Canton and Potsdam, in the village centers or out of town, or near one of the lakes and ponds nearby. Out of town, there are frequently both new homes and 19th century farmhouses for sale; the latter typically seem to need a fair amount of work but are also often worthy of the attention if you’re inclined to give it. Does the prospect of a sprawling farmhouse with acreage and views for what you’d pay for a broom closet in Manhattan appeal to you? However, note that renovation can be slow and expensive, and that old houses are notorious for always having something that needs repair. It is also safest to assume that any house built before 1970 contains lead paint, which can pose a serious health risk to children, though this risk can be minimized by removing pealing paint and taking other precautions.

Prices of homes in and around Canton tend to vary largely based on school district. Real Estate agents are forbidden by law from advertising one school district as superior to another, but if you see two similar homes five miles apart in distance and $50,000 apart in price, this may well be the reason why. Depending on whom you talk to, the differences may be justified by the quality of schools, or may be based on a common but overstated bias against smaller outlying school districts. If you don’t have kids or plan to, it may not matter, except that it appears to be consistently important in setting the prices within the market, and thus determining what is fair for you to pay and what you should expect for resale value. Some of the schools in towns surrounding Canton and Potsdam are very good, when judged based on state-wide standardized test scores. Some are not, however, and many will have much smaller numbers of students, which may mean a less varied menu of classes available. Canton’s school system has an outstanding reputation, though you can generally expect to pay more in taxes if you live within the Canton school district than if you don’t. Suffice to say that if you have children or intend to, you should carefully research the strengths and weaknesses of the school district in which you’re considering buying a home.

Also note that the school districts in the area don’t necessarily correspond exactly with town lines on a map. This means that there are pieces of towns adjacent to Canton that are within the Canton school district, and pieces of the town of Canton that are not. This is important to note, because it may affect both your decision about whether to buy a house and your opinion of what is fair to pay. A map of the school districts in the area is available from the real property office in the county administrative building on Court Street in Canton.

There is something of a home buying season in the area, with most entries to the market coming in the spring and summer and fewer in the fall and winter (nobody really wants to move all of their belongings across town in January). In part because of this, if you’re shopping for a home to buy and are unable to find one (especially by late summer or early fall), a local real estate agent may be able to put you in touch with a seller whose home has not sold, and who is looking to rent it until the next year.

Resources

For those looking to rent or buy an apartment or house in the Canton/Potsdam area, the classified section of the weekly St. Lawrence Plain Dealer , North Country This Week, and Potsdam Courier are the best place to start looking. All are available at many local businesses. The following web pages may also be of help:

  • North Country Now, the online version of North Country this Week, including some real estate classifieds, can be found at: http://northcountrynow.com/
  • The web page of the Potsdam-Massena Courier-Observer, including some real estate classifieds, is: http://www.mpcourier.com/
  • The shared web page of the area’s real estate brokers, with a searchable database of houses for sale in Canton and the surrounding area can be found at: http://www.slcmls.com

“Grant people their good intentions.”
Pamela Thacher, Pscyhology

Fix-it Folk

First bit of advice: If all else fails, ask! The people in your department or those you met at lunch in the Faculty Dining Room or the pub are the best source for who does what well. That’s what I did when I first got here, and it worked great! Of course, be prepared to ask 3 people and get 3 different answers! Many of these blurbs are in the first person. I just wrote down what folks told me, as they told it to me!

Disclaimer: This list is NOT exhaustive; the following are not the only good fix-it folks in the area. The people on this list did a satisfactory or better job for a faculty member and/or a friend of a faculty member. Also, there are horror stories out there that can’t be printed. Ask around!

Repairs and Home improvement:

Before you start, if you are in University Housing, call Physical Plant if there are problems with your place. Find out what they are supposed to fix and what you have to fix.

Next, the folks that are listed under various categories are most well known in that area. However, general contractors can do electrical, roofing, etc. Ask ‘em.

Appliances

  • Fran Baxtor Fran’s Repair Service 393-7438

Car Repair

  • Canton Tire 18 Riverside, Canton 386-8114
  • Major Muffler, Jon Legault Russell Road, Canton 386-2395
  • Martin’s Maple Street Station-AAA Road Service 59 Maple Street, Potsdam 265-7380 if no answer: 265-9620
  • Bell’s AAA Towing & Repair Corner of Riverside and Chapel, Canton 386-2919
  • Bruce’s Auto Old Rte 11, Canton 386-3673
  • Niles’ Auto Shine 1195 Route 14, Renselleur Falls 344-7179
  • Boyden Brook Body Works Meade Road near Langdon Corners 379-9853
  • Pike’s Auto Riverside Drive 386-3690
  • Bell’s Service Station 386-2919

Canton Tire seems fairly reasonable. Scott Todd is good for minor maintenance: nice and cheap. Major Muffler is also pretty good. Martin’s is in Potsdam, and also got good review. Other good references went to Martin’s, Bell’s, Bruce’s and Niles’. Niles’ does a really good job on detailing your car, inside and out. We have had good luck with Bell's Service station on Riverside Drive for car repair. Lance Bell is an interesting fellow [a hoot, in fact], besides.

Construction

  • Brian Coots 386-4130
  • Steve Cotter 384-3711
  • Elia Filippi 347-3665
  • Fine Carpentry
  • Ryan Hicks 386-2086
  • Paul Lytle 386-4605
  • John McCloskey 347-1807
  • Paul Petroccione 386-2084
  • Jacent Storie 393-6277
  • Peter Wyckoff 386-2046
  • Coakley’s Ask for Art. 386-8161
  • Bruce Lester 344-8856

Several names come up when you ask about constructions. Brian Coots does a good job and is reasonable. Jacent has done quite a bit of work on my house and has good prices. Elia Filippi is also recommendable. Paul Lytle is very good and also does roofing. (You’ll find that a lot of these guys are a jack-of-all-trades.) Paul Petroccione is very good, and he is the only one that Collen Knickerbocker will let work on his house, so says his wife! Peter’s name also has come up several times when I’ve asked who would be good at doing some construction. Be advised: Bruce is a friendly southerner, says Judy Simon, and the only person to call Daniel Koon “Bubba.” As I am a southerner, I see nothing wrong with this, except maybe Bruce has bad eyesight! Be warned, these guys have a heavy workload, as do many in construction. Be prepared to wait.

Electrician

  • Dave Ragan 386-3272
  • Auggie Weiss Weiss Electric 386-4395
  • E.C Dean Electric 386-4418

Both Dave and Auggie come highly recommended, but may be hard to get a hold of. Dave is now working for the village. If he is too busy, he refers folks to the Deans.

Handy Work

  • Larry Dubey 379-0920
  • Brian Mullaney Mullaney’s Home Works 265-0223
  • Bob Panetti 386-4134
  • Dave Witherheads 386-3068
  • Glenn Ames Call Joe Kling 386-4236

Larry Dubey does a little bit of everything: construction, plumbing, plowing, electrical, landscaping, etc, as does Dave Witherheads. Brian Mullaney will “fix it, paint it, build it, do it.” Bob Panetti are good general handyman and may not have as long of a wait. Glenn Ames does general handiwork. Mows the lawn, shovels the snow, cleans the porch in spring, stacks wood for me in winter. He works for about $10.00 an hour, and has been working for us for about 15 years with no problems.

Hardwood Floors

  • Stuart Rishe Riche’s Custom Hardwood Flooring 322-4374
  • Bruce Lester 344-8856

Stuart Rishe does an excellent job putting in hardwood floors.

Painter

  • Baker Painting 379-0889
  • David Barnes 379-0042
  • Kevin Alban 279-8134
  • David Lafaver 384-8962
  • Sean Hernandez 268-0988
  • Bruce Lester 344-8856

Plumber

  • Bob Lobdell 386-3959
  • Grant’s Plumbling and Heating 379-1308
  • Bronson Service Corp Roto-Rooter plumbers 265-8192 265-8190
  • Rivers Septic Tank Service 386-8610

Bronson also deals with heating problems. They’ve gotten me out of deep…well, you know… several times.

Refinished Furniture

  • Harbart’s Furniture Refinishing 386-2419 With all the auctions and antique stores up here, this is a must!

Roofer

  • Bellinger’s 386-3759
  • Paul Lytle 386-4605

Bellinger’s is solely a roofer. Ask any of the contractors if they will do your roof and get estimates. I’m getting Steven Cotter to do mine.

Seamstress/Tailors

  • Sabrina V. Egeland 386-2519 SLU: ext 5830
  • Linda’s Stitches and Knits 386-4749

Sabrina specializes in men’s & women’s tailoring, custom clothing and period reproductions. She is the costume shop supervisor at SLU, so when there’s a show going up, she will be hard to get a hold of. She spent 7 years as a tailor’s assistant before coming to SLU so knows her way around suits etc. She also absolutely loves playing with prom dresses!

Windows

  • Russ Blackstone 386-1145
  • Windows Only 265-3568

Also, check with the contractors and/or handymen.

Cabinet Maker

  • From the Heart Cabinetry 1591 Route 11B, Potsdam 268-0713

Frame Maker

  • The Frame Maker 46 East Main Street, Canton 386-4914
  • Brewer Bookstore 229-5460
  • The Copy Shop 265-2424

Frames done by Joan McKnight at the Frame Maker. Tom does a pretty good job at the bookstore.

Chores you don’t feel like doing

Lawn Care/Snow removal

  • Troy Burchell 386-1330
  • Bill Locey William’s Homework 379-9220
  • Frances Rookey 386-3218
  • Dave Witherheads 386-3068
  • Todd Axtell Tru-Cut Lawncare 323-8873 (Cell) 386-8873 (H)

When I first got here, I thought shoveling the driveway would be fun. We had our first real snow and I spent 2 hours shoveling. It was fun, and good exercise, too. I went to a Holiday party, and by the time I got back, I had to shovel again. It was no longer fun! One problem with several of the snow removal people is that they sometimes come TOO often, especially if there hasn’t been much snow that winter. Also, you may want to invest in your own snowblower; it may save you money in the long run. Your best bet for cutting grass is probably kids in the neighborhood. Maybe your fellow professors have kids who are interested. I found this is also an excellent source for pet and baby sitters!

Bill will do other things around the yard, as well as fix-it projects, though is very busy.

Trash Removal

  • Waste Stream Management 265-3860
  • BLB Haulers 262-2122
  • Dave Weaver 265-2475
  • Frank’s Bottle Redemption 386-2850

Actually, unless you want to haul it to the dump yourself, this really is a must.

Waste Stream Management is easy. They give you a can that you drag out to the curb once a week. I have a smallish can (not the smallest) that holds about 2 bags of trash, plus a small bag of recyclables and the paper bin on top. This costs about $27 a month.

BLB Haulers also charges a flat fee for a bag a week, and charge a fee for extra bags. They don’t provide a trash can. Dave Weaver has also been recommended.

When I first came up here, I was surprised to find a $ 0.05 deposit on a can of soda/beer. Now, I drink a lot of soda, and I find it annoying to put all my cans into the machines at the grocery store. And heaven help you if the can is any bit bent, or if you didn’t actually buy that particular brand at the store. Enter Frank’s Redemption! Call him with the number of cans you have (rinsed and in a nice clear bag, of course) and he will pick them up from your house and pay you the full 5 cents per can.

The Presbyterian Church in Canton runs a Thrift Shop and Food Pantry, and are always looking for donations. They’ll take almost anything. Also, I find it amazing what gets picked up if you leave it on the curb with a “free” sign attached to it. If you have an item with ANY conceivable use, try this before paying to have it hauled away. If you want to try and sell your old stuff, The PennySaver will advertise for free any item under $50 or try a garage sale---they’re very popular.

House cleaners

  • Diana E. Dafoe Di’s Cleaning Services, Winthrop 384-3761
  • Ginger Huckle 386-1523
  • Tina Guyette 386-1446 (H) 379-0994 (W)

Di’s Cleaning Services comes recommended. Ginger is very reasonable. There are several others that work in the area, but they change. Ask around. Tina's looking to expand her housecleaning business. She currently works at the Laundry Chute. Reliable, does a thorough job.

House Inspectors

  • John Rossi, ASHI-certified inspector, 48 Park Street, Canton, 386-3579