"I would have had to do this either way: good market, great market, bad market," Gandhi explained. "I’d rather do it now when the market is soft and the sales are slower than in a busier time, when we are missing out on opportunity."
In a high-demand environment, every day spent training staff on new systems or redrawing accountabilities represents a significant opportunity cost. If the market were surging, View Homes might be forced to choose between capturing immediate sales and fixing the underlying platform. By doing the work now, Gandhi is ensuring that when demand eventually rebounds, the company will have the capacity to handle a substantially higher volume of business than its current model could ever sustain.
Furthermore, the softer market has provided a secondary benefit: a more favorable labor market. During the height of the post-pandemic housing frenzy, talent was scarce and expensive. Now, Gandhi has been able to recruit seasoned professionals and rebuild her corporate and division-level leadership teams with experienced individuals who might have been harder to attract during a peak cycle.
The backing of Hunt Companies also provides a unique advantage. As part of a larger real estate enterprise, View Homes has access to "patient capital." Unlike some public builders that are beholden to the whims of quarterly earnings reports, View can afford to take a long-term perspective. According to Gandhi, Hunt’s guidance is simple: use this time wisely so that the company is fully prepared to accelerate when the market turns.
Cleaning Up Yesterday While Underwriting Tomorrow
A significant part of Gandhi’s stabilization effort involves addressing the legacy of the past. Like many builders, View Homes has assets on its balance sheet—land and finished inventory—that were acquired or planned under different economic conditions. Gandhi has directed her team to work through these legacy assets aggressively rather than clinging to aspirational profit margins that no longer reflect the reality of the market.
This "fine, happy medium" approach means accepting lower margins or even losses on certain homes to clear the decks. The goal is to stop the bleed of carrying costs and free up capital for more strategic investments. "We are being very selective and very strategic in the investments that we’re going to make," Gandhi said. "We’re not just buying land to buy land to fill a pipeline because we don’t need to do that."
This discipline extends to the company’s product strategy. Gandhi and her team have conducted a thorough audit of their plan library, identifying which designs generate revenue and which do not. While the first-time buyer remains a core demographic, View Homes is expanding its reach into the move-up and second-move-up markets, particularly in high-growth areas like Colorado. By collaborating with architects on new product series, the company is aligning its inventory with the specific needs of today’s buyers, who are often looking for more value and better design to justify current mortgage rates.
Rebuilding the Operating System
Perhaps the most daunting task Gandhi faces is the modernization of the company’s technology. The current enterprise stack—including CRM and financial systems—is insufficient for a builder aiming for regional dominance. However, Gandhi is resisting the temptation to implement a "quick fix."
