HPG-1606-1: The Summerhaven

When my wife and I decided to undertake the project of building a house we had no idea what we were going to experience.

Never having built before, it was a leap of faith. After perusing untold hundreds of plans we finally settled on the 3 bedroom / 2 bath HPG-1903 house plan from House Plan Gallery.com, and With minor changes it was what we were looking for. The project began.

We worked on it through the fall and winter here in Minot, North Dakota. Through the cold winter and through the spring storms until recently in June of 2011 we were ready to lay the flooring and carpets.

Then, the unthinkable happened. Our city had a 150 year record flood. The house filled with water all the way to the main floor. It was then that we really experienced what was a life moment.

The National Guard came through with their loud speakers as we were removing things from the shop that we have on the property. As they did, I looked around me and saw the friends gathered to help. At that moment along with my 17 year old son and myself there was a mother with her five daughters and a couple of other ladies from our church and we were stranded without any vehicle to escape with. The levies were breached and we were in a very vulnerable position.

The house did not matter, the things did not matter; all that mattered was that we wanted the precious people around us to be safe. With the help of other flood fleeing escapees we were able to make our getaway.

When it all comes down to it, the things in life aren't what life is about at all. What really matters is relationships. God, family and friends. I have been a pastor for over 20 years and thought I realized thiS, but that moment brought it home to me in a profound way. I suppose we wi ll fix the flood damage on the house when we get access again.

It will be a beautiful home with extra memories from the flood. Yet, never will I forget mo matter how much we enjoy it that the house is not our dream. Our dream is the people that will grace our doorstep, the laughter that will echo against the walls, and the loved ones that share the special moments that will happen along the way.

Thanks House Plan Gallery for helping us to design our dream home!

Build company complimented the detail of our plans.

Friday, February 13, 2009 -I left my home in Gulfport, MS around 4pm on a three hour drive to Alabama. My best friend, Darryn, was with me and we had to attend a Board meeting at 8pm that night, and a Membership meeting the next morning. Mary Martha, my girlfriend who lives with me, was at her father's house in Ocean Springs, MS. Her father was 92 years old and on his death bed, she was staying with him till he passed. There are no phones where I was staying, in Alabama, and cell service is limited.

Around 11:30 pm a fellow member of our club, who lives in the area, came by and woke us up. He explained that I needed to get home because I had a fire at home and there was a hole in my roof. My buddy and I drove around and found cell service. I was able to get in touch with Mary Martha and she filled me in. Her father had passed away and my house was burned beyond repair. We made the trip back to Gulfport safely. The Red Cross set us up with a place to stay and provided us with money for meals for the weekend. They also gave us a debit card for clothes and necessities purchases.

My insurance company ended up declaring the house a total loss. Mary Martha's family offered us to stay in her father's house until we figured out all of our requirements in dealing with the insurance company. We ended up renting her father's house from the estate of the family, while our new house was under construction.

Our next step, after demolishing the old house, was to decide on a house plan and get quotes from builders. After weeks of internet and local building store searches, we finally decided on a house plan that best meet our needs and wants. We found the HPG-1654-1 house plan and you can imagine how surprised we were when the plans came in and we saw that they originated from Hattiesburg, MS.

Darryn called me and told me he had bumped into a friend of ours that we had gone to high school and played baseball with. That friend was Johnny Willis and he was a building contractor. I called Johnny and about four other contractors and got bids for building my new home. After alot of discussions and visits to view some of the work completed and in progress, I decided on Mr. Willis. Johnny also did his own framing, this made it easy to make adjustments without having to get the plans re-drawn. Johnny stated he would have it finished in 90-120 days.

He started in May of 2009, and even with the MAJOR changes, that effect building in the City of Gulfport by the Code Office and FEMA regulations, due to Hurricane Katrina. He was able to complete the project inside the alotted time frame. And in September of 2009, we moved in and became the happy owners of a beautiful House Plan Gallery home.

Some pictures taken during the construction process may be viewed here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?id=702243524&aid=89187