“I won't go anywhere”: For an Altadena Fire survivor, mathematics is a meaningful reconstruction

Jennie Marie Mahalick Petrini made a big decision in her hands.

For Petrini, the night of January 7 caused all losses. Eaton Fire In her quaint home in the northwest corner of Altadena near Jane Village, reduced her shelter to a pile of rubble.

“I have a spiritual connection to that house,” she said. “It's the only place I feel safe.”

Now, like thousands of others, she is criticizing whether to sell her burn, keep moving forward, keep going and rebuild.

For many people, selling makes more sense. Experts estimate that the reconstruction could take years and browse the contractors, inspectors and government’s traditional tape festivals while recovering from trauma events is not worth the effort. That's why many Listed every day.

But for Peterlini's reasons – the fusion of head and heart for emotional and financial reasons – keep the only realistic choice.

Decomposition Mathematics

Petrini, 47, bought her Altadena home, who lives with her partner and two daughters, and lived with her partner and two daughters in 2019 for $705,000. Built in 1925, it is 1,352 square feet, three bedrooms and two bathrooms in a thin thin area of ​​just over 5,300 square feet.

She was able to refinance the loan during the pandemic, reducing the interest rate to 2.75% with a $450,000 mortgage. The move dropped her mortgage payments from $3,600 to $3,000, a relatively steal, only the $2,800 rent she had paid for Tujunga apartments since the fire.

The property was insured by farmers, who imposed an action after the fire and issued her first spending on January 8.

Petrini received $380,000 in a home with an additional 20% loss of about $70,000 and personal property of $200,000. She used $200,000 in spending on living expenses, such as a second car, medical expenses and some savings, and also hid $50,000 for reconstruction.

She estimates that even the most frugal reconstruction will cost about $700,000, and now she can cover about $500,000: $380,000 and $70,000 in insurance spending, and $50,000 of her personal property spending she has saved for the reconstruction.

To pay an additional $200,000, she received a small business management loan of up to $500,000 at an interest rate of 2.65% for real estate renovations. Once she started withdrawing from the loan, she estimated she would pay about $1,000 a month, plus her $3,000 mortgage, totaling about $4,000.

It's a big number, but it's still much cheaper than selling and restarting.

“I could sell the money for $500,000, buy my insurance and pay for something new, but my house is worth $1.2 million,” she said. “So even if I put $500,000 on my new house, I have a $700,000 mortgage for something similar, and the interest rate is much higher.”

For now, if she cashes out, she will rent a house for the foreseeable future in the housing crisis, where rents rise and some landlords take advantage of tenants, especially during the crisis. Price fraud In January, thousands of rental markets flooded the rental market, resulting in low-level homes. To secure her Tujunga lease, Petrini had to pay 18 months of rent in advance through insurance – totaling more than $50,000.

“It sounds profitable: Selling the land, paying off my mortgage and not having debts. But then my kids don't have a home,” she said.

More than money

While math makes sense, Petrini has a bigger reason to stay: she is emotionally connected to numerous, community and people in it.

Altadena is her safe haven. She bought a home after escaping domestic violence in 2017. The seller offered a higher offer, but eventually sold it to Peterlini and wrote a letter explaining her situation.

She is also her sober place after abuse of stimulants to stay awake and keep her single mother.

“When I get sober, I have to take five walks a day,” she said, trees, animals, flowers, all kinds of houses. That's – is a special place. ”

Petrini has served as executive director of operations at the Western Academy, but has taken a break in 2023, focusing on her children and health. She and one daughter both suffer from type 1 diabetes.

Peterlini has been unemployed since then, and her parents helped her pay her mortgage before the fire. She admits she operates in a privileged place, but says it is crucial to receive help when recovering from something.

“Even if I lose my job, I just know I'm going to be fine here,” she said. “I'll give men who have a vegetarian restaurant in exchange for food. You're always getting what you need here.”

Become cunning

For Peterlini, speed is the name of the game. Experts estimate that the reconstruction may take three to five years or even longer, but she hopes to break the ground in August and end next summer.

In addition to nonprofits, she has contacted electrical manufacturers and construction companies. The purpose is to stitch a house with something cheap or better, free. She recently obtained 2500 square feet of siding from Modern Mill.

“I'm not looking for a custom-made mansion, but I don't want IKEA's showroom boxes either,” she said. “My house is 100 years old and I want to rebuild something with the character.”

To help, she also hopes to use Senate bill 9 Divide many of her people in half. She then sold her other half of the property to the contractor for a friendly price of $250,000.

Jennie Marie Mahalick Petrini is studying the complex process of staying in Altadena and rebuilding her property.

(Robert Hanashiro / The Times)

To speed up the process, she chose a “similar” reconstruction – the structure reflects whatever they replace. For such projects, Los Angeles County is accelerating Allow timelines to speed up shooting recovery.

So the new house in Petrini will be exactly the same as the old one: 1,352 square feet with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. She submitted the plan in early June and hopes to get approval by the end of the month.

For design, she turned to Altadena Collectiveone with Foothills Catalog Foundation This helped fire victims in Jane’s village rebuild a British hut-style house, which is known for. For custom construction plans, project management and structural engineering, Pitrini paid them $33,000, about half what she paid to others, she said.

“I'm going to go the fastest and most efficient thing. If we run out of money, who needs to dry the wall,” she said. “I want my house to be the first to rebuild.”

It doesn't have to be perfect. Petrini and her daughter have been compiling the visual boards of their dream kitchen and bathroom, but she knew that sacrifice would be made.

“It will be a treasure hunt to finish this job. We will use whatever material we can find,” she said. “But it will have a story. Just like Altadena.”