And because of his years of professional experience, not much fazes him.
Cavernous trenches in the basement?
Persistent leaks no other contactor could locate or repair?
He’s on it.
And sadly, the incompetence and unscrupulous behavior of some of his fellow builders no longer surprises him.
But while Holmes is used to all this stuff, he’s far from jaded.
In an exclusive interview, he shares all the details.
They not only had an unlivable house, but no money with which to fix it.
“The [previous] contractor took all they had and then liened their property,” Holmes said.
“The first thing I had to do was put them up for a year.
I paid for where they lived.
I paid their electrical bills.
I paid their telephone bill.
I paid their legal bills.”
And he didn’t skimp on costs when it came to rebuilding their home, either.
And that was a home that will withstand a hurricane, a tornado, and the test of time.
It was financially huge."
“We begged for rain.
And then we begged for air conditioning.”
But despite the challenges, they had absolutely no regrets.
“We had to do it.
It still cost the company a million to save their lives.
“The family was wonderful, and in the long run, it’s what we do.”
Mike Holmes and his kids will never forget this project, or the people of the Lower Ninth Ward.
Build a house that will withstand Category 5 hurricanes.
Save the families that are down there.
Tell the story at the Lower Ninth.”
