Officials with De Young Properties announce the 2018 selection as the builder for "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." Photo by Donald A. Promnitz

De Young Properties, a leading homebuilding company based in Fresno, is celebrating 50 years of crafting homes and a lasting legacy of fostering community.

Founded in 1974, the family-owned company is now being led by the third generation and has built over 8,000 homes through the years.

With its affiliate companies, including De Young Mortgage Inc. and De Young Realty Inc., the company adds guidance and custom solutions to the home buying process, according to a news release.

“Reaching 50 years is a remarkable achievement, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the trust of our homeowners, the dedication of our team, and the support of our community,” said Jerry De Young, CEO of De Young Properties. “At De Young Properties, we’re about more than building homes—we’re about creating strong connections and lasting foundations for families to thrive. I’m proud of what we’ve built together over the years and look forward to driving our legacy forward, delivering on dreams for generations to come.”

De Young Properties has led efforts for innovations in home building, creating Central California’s first zero energy community, De Young EnVision.

The company has earned several accolades, including the grand award for Best Innovative Energy Design at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference Gold Nugget awards.

De Young Properties is also active in giving back to the community, and for the past 17 years the company has served as the builder and major donor for the Central Valley St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway campaign, raising over $16.5 million to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

They have also contributed to two homes for local heroes on the ABC television show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

The De Young Properties story started with late Central Valley homebuilder John Bonadelle, father to Paula De Young, who followed in her father’s footsteps and entered the home building industry.

Paula current serves as executive vice president of the company.

Jerry and Paula met at Fresno State, and while In college they established De Young Properties in 1974.

Today, the company is led by third-generation family members Ryan, Brandon and Ashely De Young.

“The foundation my grandparents and parents built remains strong today,” said Ryan De Young, President of De Young Properties. “We are committed to delivering quality-crafted homes, advancing building science, and helping families achieve the American Dream. We are proud to have been ‘Building Your Dreams for Three Generations’ and look forward to continuing this legacy for the next 50 years.”

To honor the company’s five decades of homebuilding, the City of Fresno proclaimed Sept. 27, 2024, as “De Young Properties Day.” The proclamation was presented to Ryan at Tesoro Viejo’s Harvest Park in Madera County, where they are building in two communities.

As part of the celebration, De Young Properties is introducing a limited time “Gold Kitchen” collection, allowing customers to personalize their dream kitchen.

“We are deeply grateful to our deserving homeowners and remain committed to ensuring each of our customers is fully satisfied with their De Young Properties home,” said Paula DeYoung. “We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our community and the talented professionals who have worked with us over the past 50 years. It is an honor to build quality-crafted homes alongside our dedicated team and to continue this tradition with passion and care.”