\n\t\u201cI\u2019m one of the first homeowners nearly complete, so we\u2019ve been faced with so many first-mover problems, but we\u2019ve been able to get it all done,\u201d explains Greenberg of efforts that came after the Palisades and Eaton fires claimed nearly 7,000 homes in L.A. \u201cI\u2019ve basically had to become a mini expert on how to rebuild your home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tHe credits Lannen Construction\u2019s Lee Horvitz \u2014 a former CAA agent who left the industry in 2016 to work first in real estate and then in construction \u2014 as a \u201clinchpin\u201d in his rebuild and Oreck (\u201cwho we absolutely love\u201d) for guiding them through the process. Greenberg rolls through the measures they took to protect it from future wildfires: no vents or eves; permanent dehumidifiers in the attic; a Class A clay tile roof; an indoor sprinkler system; concrete masonry unit wall; drought-resistant landscaping; stucco exterior with no wood; noncombustible exterior gates; solar and battery features; electric appliances; double-paned, tempered glass windows; underground power lines and more.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\tInterior shots of the new home.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tArchitect Kevin Oreck<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI believe that home hardening is the next evolution of sustainability and green building, because a large portion of Los Angeles is in high fire zones,\u201d says Greenberg, whose r\u00e9sum\u00e9 also includes tenures at Beyond Productions and All3Media America. \u201cIn our neighborhood, we never thought in a million years that we were going to lose our house \u2014\u00a0never. But since it happened, it forces you to really have to consider whether or not a fire could come back. Is it going to try to burn us down again? You have to put in these mitigating efforts, but they work hand in hand with the sustainability efforts. The purpose is really to make sure that your house can withstand whatever\u2019s thrown its way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tGreenberg likens it to making the home into a fortress without looking like one. \u201cOur rebuild is beautiful and it looks like a normal house. You want to have all the comforts and conveniences of your last house. There are a just a few things that need to change,\u201d says Greenberg, who is married to Danielle Amerian, an independent producer and writer who previously worked for Di Novi Pictures, Discovery Channel and John Goldwyn Productions. <\/p>\n
\n\tGreenberg and his wife purchased their home in 2021, and it had been a journey from the jump. \u201cIt was actually a hoarder house,\u201d Greenberg notes. \u201cA woman had lived there for 27 years and it was filled floor-to-ceiling with boxes. Her parents\u2019 remains were in a USPS box in the living room. It was crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tAnd unhealthy. \u201cBlack mold, fungus, lead,\u201d he added of the home\u2019s dire state. \u201cShe really destroyed the place.\u201d But Greenberg and his wife saw the potential and knew how difficult it was to find a prime spot in Pacific Palisades, so they went through with the purchase. They moved in May 2022 and immediately set about renovating and \u201cripping out all the bad stuff\u201d inside the one-level, Spanish-style home built in the 1940s. They put in months of hard work and ended up loving it there.<\/p>\n
\n\tWhen the fires broke out on Jan. 7, 2025, Greenberg was in Brentwood while his wife was at home. He managed to make it home in time to grab a couple of suitcases \u2014 a shared one for him and his wife, and another for their two children \u2014\u00a0and flee to his in-laws\u2019 home nearby.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWe were glued to the TV all night,\u201d Greenberg recalls. \u201cI woke up the next day and turned on the news on NBC, and for a split second, I could see they were on my block.\u201d He decided to race to his property and see what he could do as a last-ditch effort. He arrived to devastation. \u201cAs I got to our street, everything was on fire. House is completely gone. My car was in the driveway \u2014 gone. It was all rubble.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tGreenberg evidently leaned on his professional experience as a veteran producer and problem-solver and leapt into action rather that crumbling under his emotions. His first call was to his insurance company, and the second was to Horvitz, someone he had known for more than two decades from working in entertainment. He remembers Horvitz reassuring him by saying, \u201cWe\u2019re going to take care of you,\u201d and suggesting a first order of business: Hire an architect before demand skyrockets. After a series of calls, Greenberg tapped Oreck, and they got started despite the uncertainty in the air.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWe don\u2019t know how long it\u2019s going to take or how much money we will get from insurance or how it will all work out, but the decision was made,\u201d he says, adding that they landed on it based on a variety of factors including their children\u2019s school remaining safe nearby, having equity tied up in their home and wanting to stay in the Palisades. \u201cWe loved our house and didn\u2019t really want to be anywhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe rebuild, a Spanish colonial revival-style home with a courtyard and separate studio house, is nearly complete with final inspections on the calendar. Then come utilities and power, followed by moving trucks, hopefully this summer. \u201cThe motivation from the first day has been for our family. We have kids and we want to get them home,\u201d he says. \u201cOur house is in a visible spot, and we\u2019ve had people ask us about the progress when they\u2019ve driven by. It gives our neighbors hope, almost like, \u2018You can do it, too.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n