Construction projects tend to be drawn out and full of unpleasant surprises, but Michael Byrnesâ St. Helena dream house set a new bar. He lost his mother, his construction loan was almost canceled, he caught a nasty case of COVID-19, he suffered two potentially life-threatening falls, construction took more than two years, and he had to do most of the work by himself. Byrnes says if heâd known what an ordeal it was going to be, his reaction would have been, âYeah right, Iâm out of here.â Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Special offer: $1 for your first 3 months!