In August 2005, when Karina Gentinetta and A.J. McAlear bundled up their children and pets and left their new Lakeview home to evacuate for Hurricane Katrina, they never imagined that it would take them three and a half years to get back home.
It did, of course, and the journey was filled with delays and detours. Now they are finally settled in their new house, although some heartaches continue. On Thursday, Gentinetta's 89-year-old father passed away. She credits him, an immigrant from Argentina, with instilling in her important lessons about courage, love of family and the strength to face adversity head on.
"Please dedicate this last article to my dad, " she wrote. "He was proud of the fact that I was so determined to rebuild."
Here are some thoughts from Gentinetta on the rebuilding process.
You described many highs and many lows in the course of the series. What was the lowest point? What was the highest?
Gentinetta: The overriding low was the lack of funds. The modular contractor who had promised us a custom house took $95,000 from us and delivered nothing. Thankfully, a judge ruled recently that he has to pay us back.
To build our house, we had to clean out savings and stick to a budget. We had to be resourceful in how to spend the money. We feel like we proved the point that a house can be beautiful and well-built even though you don't have a big budget.
The highest point? I don't think there was one high point. Everything was a process.
With all the setbacks, you kept going. At what point did you feel confident it was all going to work out? At what point did you almost throw in the towel?
We felt it was going to work out the moment we met contractor Larry Schneider and we got going on the construction. There has to be a trust with your contractor and also people who can vouch for him. With Larry, I was very cautious, and he understood our predicament and the trust issues. I think that the level of trust there was a lot stronger and much more supported by people who had used him in the past. I think that is very important.
We almost threw in the towel when the modular house thing didn't work out. When we didn't get our money back, we panicked and were ready to move far, far away.
Is there a choice that you made in the course of the project that you wish you hadn't?
There was nothing that we have regretted in the building of our new house. We had everything in it carefully selected for a long time, down to the colors and tiles, etc.
Was there a choice you made that you are really happy about?
The choice to come back. Yes, it was tempting at times to stay put elsewhere, where you have become adjusted. At times, you just get tired and think that maybe the odds and the challenges are too great. But even though we hesitated, we are so glad to have come back.
What is it that you like best about your home, now that it is complete?
We love everything about this house. The size, although it is a small house, is perfect for us. The large kitchen is amazing. We spend all of our time there. We love the fenced-in front yard. It gives us extra room for the kids to play.
What is the funniest thing that happened at your house?
It was probably the little mouse that ate all the fringe off one of our pillows and made a nice, soft nest for himself. When we were unpacking, he jumped out of one of the boxes and ran away.
Tell us what you have observed in the past couple of years about the Lakeview recovery, and what you see for the neighborhood in the future.
In Lakeview, we are seeing more and more people taking time to build beautiful houses. I think, in the weeks and months after the storm, everyone was rushing in to just get back. And you can't blame them. There were a lot of modular houses and houses that were raised too high just to ward off future floods. Now, everyone is taking their time and there are a lot of really nice houses coming up. Our block is almost done!
Are there home projects you want to tackle in the future?
We want to make our backyard as homey as the rest of the house. We want the back porch to be an extension of the house, a place you go to relax.
What is your advice to other rebuilders?
Spend money on quality things. Pick those things that are important to you and spend more money on those, then economize on the rest.
2005: Karina Gentinetta and A.J. McAlear buy a house in Lakeview to accommodate their expanding family. The couple rides out the storm in Goodbee, where McAlear's family owns a weekend home. They would live there for three and a half years.
2006: Pressure from a mortgage company leads the family to decide to demolish their former home. Not long after, they begin the tedious and frustrating process of dealing with their insurer, the Road Home Corp. and the Small Business Administration.
2007: They choose an architect and begin developing plans for a new house to take the place of the one they had lost. When plans are complete, bids come in too high for the couple to afford. But a developer claims he can get them a custom modular home for the right price, and they sign on with him.
2008: The developer fails to deliver the modular house in January, as promised, and claims he can't refund the downpayment because of issues with the modular manufacturer. A period of uncertainty ensues before the couple's resolve to return home kicks in. They clean out their savings and hire a local contractor to build a traditional house. Work proceeds without any significant hitches, and the family moves in on New Year's Eve.
2009: McAlear begins a new job, the couple's son starts at a new school, and the family establishes itself in the Lakeview neighborhood. A judge agrees that the modular developer must return the couple's money. They are waiting to collect and replenish their savings.
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Contributing writer Stephanie Bruno can be reached at email@example.com.