Devang Shah: Fixed-price homes offer a practical path to rebuilding Altadena

Shah was co-head of Cityview’s development and acquisitions in the Western US. He has 27 years of experience in real estate investment, development, design, construction, and asset management. Previously, Devang was the principal of Marketcents Inc., an independent project management firm, serving as an owner’s representative to investment firms, builders, and developers. Prior to that, he worked as Vice-President at RCLCo, LLC, a national independent real estate consulting firm. Today, Devang is applying his deep industry expertise through Genesis Builders to help homeowners rebuild faster, safer, and more affordably in wildfire-affected communities like Altadena.

In this episode, Jan and Devang discuss:

• The origin story behind Genesis Builders after the January 7 wildfires
• Pre-approved home designs and streamlined permitting in Altadena
• Fire-resistant building standards and insurance-driven construction requirements
• ADUs as a cost-effective add-on during the rebuilding process

Key Takeaways:

• By leveraging long-standing subcontractor relationships and economies of scale, Genesis Builders can lower per-square-foot costs compared to traditional custom homes. This makes rebuilding achievable even for homeowners with limited insurance proceeds.
• Pre-approved plans significantly shorten the approval process, allowing homeowners to move from decision to completed home in roughly 16 months. This speed is critical given insurance “loss of use” time limits.
• Fire resistance is a central design priority, with homes exceeding California Chapter 7A requirements and aligning closely with insurance-backed wildfire safety standards.
• ADUs become far more affordable when built alongside the primary residence, since many soft costs are already absorbed. This has led to strong adoption of ADUs among rebuilding homeowners.

“You could be nine months in with a permit in hand and realize you can’t even afford the home. With ours, architectural and structural is already included.” – Devang Shah