Housing Watch: De Young Properties reaches milestone of homes built

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Moving into a new home is always exciting.

But Michele and Raul Ochoa just happened to help De Young Properties celebrate a milestone when they bought their Clovis home.

"It was exciting to hear we were the 8,000th home built by De Young," Michele said. "It's an honor to be able to be a part of this monumental occasion for them."

"This was actually their first home, so they're a first-time homeowner and it's extremely exciting for them," says Executive Vice President Brandon De Young. "It's a great milestone for them too."

Brandon and Ryan De Young represent the third generation of the company,

"When you think about 8,000 homes and the amount of memories that have taken place in those homes, it's really heart-warming and something that our family is extremely, I would say excited, and I would say emotional about too," Ryan said.

We caught up with the De Young brothers, who are building their Verano models in Madera's growing Tesoro Viejo neighborhood.

They're keeping a family tradition going,

Paula De Young's father was local builder John Bonadelle. He helped Paula and her husband, Jerry, start their company 48 years ago.

"We've had a real passion for helping families gain home ownership so they could gain equity, and that's what's really driven us," Paula said.

The company was involved in ABC's Extreme Makeover show in 2009. Black and white photos old and new help tell the family story.

De Young Properties is building currently homes in Fresno, Madera and Clovis.

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