Thursday afternoon, the U.S. Senate announced the confirmation of William Pulte as next Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).
In mid-January, President-Elect Donald Trump announced the nomination of Pulte as FHFA Director after a career in private equity. Earlier this week, the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee voted 15-9 to advance Pulte’s nomination to lead the FHFA to the full Senate.
Since 2008, FHFA has also served as conservator of both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Pulte, grandson of William Pulte, Founder and Chair of U.S. homebuilder PulteGroup, was a member of the Board of Directors of PulteGroup, residential home-construction company based in Atlanta. As of 2023, the company was the third-largest home-construction company in the nation based on the number of homes closed—having built nearly 800,000 homes.
In 2001, Pulte Homes was acquired Del E. Webb Construction Company, for $1.8 billion. In 2003, the company acquired Sivage-Thomas Homes, and in 2009, the company acquired Centex for $1.3 billion in stock. In August 2014, the company acquired the real-estate assets of Dominion Homes for $82 million. The company changed its name from Pulte Homes to PulteGroup in March 2010.
Since 2011, Pulte has served as CEO of Pulte Capital Partners LLC, an investment firm with no affiliation with PulteGroup, focused on investing in housing supply, building products, and related service companies. Pulte also served as CEO and Chair of Carstin Brands LLC, a residential countertop manufacturer, and as a Director of Olon Group, a manufacturer for the cabinet industry. Prior to its sale in May 2016, Pulte built Southern Air & Heat LLC into one of the leading residential heating and air conditioning platforms in the nation. Pulte is a graduate of Northwestern University.
The Industry Reacts
As news of Pulte’s confirmation broke, many mortgage and housing industry organizations weighed in.
“The National Mortgage Servicing Association (NMSA) welcomes William Pulte as FHFA Director,” said Ed Delgado, Managing Director, MPA and Chairman Emeritus, Five Star Global. “We are eager to support Director Pulte and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) in its mission to better the U.S. residential mortgage market.”
“On behalf of the National Association of Realtors, I want to extend our sincere congratulations to Bill Pulte on his confirmation as Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. His leadership comes at a pivotal time as we face historic housing challenges, including affordability concerns and a nationwide housing shortage,” said NAR EVP & Chief Advocacy Officer Shannon McGahn. “FHFA oversees a housing finance system that is uniquely American, but whose reform is long delayed. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, collectively the ‘GSEs’, are the backbone for middle-class homeownership and rentership. It is of the utmost importance that we take a measured and thoughtful approach to any GSE reforms. We are confident that Director Pulte’s experience and commitment will help strengthen the housing finance system and support sustainable homeownership for all Americans. We look forward to working with him to ensure a stable, accessible, and thriving housing market for generations to come.”
Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) President and CEO Bob Broeksmit, CMB, said “Our members stand ready to work with Director Pulte and his team, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac staff, the Federal Home Loan Banks, and other industry stakeholders to increase affordable and sustainable homeownership and rental housing opportunities for all Americans, while ensuring a robust secondary mortgage market for single-family and multifamily lenders of all sizes and business models.”
Scott Olson, Executive Director of Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA), said in a statement, “CHLA applauds the confirmation of Bill Pulte to be Director of the FHFA. CHLA appreciates Mr. Pulte’s commitment to affordable homeownership. We look forward to working with him on issues like preserving a broad base of GSE lenders, which benefits consumers, and taking Fannie and Freddie out of conservatorship in an orderly way.”
“ALTA congratulates Bill Pulte on being confirmed as the next FHFA director by the U.S. Senate. We look forward to working with Director Pulte and the Trump administration to foster policies that expand homeownership opportunities by promoting housing stability, reducing financial risks for homeowners and supporting a fair and transparent real estate market,” said Diane Tomb, CEO of the American Land Title Association (ALTA).
ALTA is a national trade association representing more than 6,000 title insurance companies, title and settlement agents, independent abstracters, title searchers and real estate attorneys. ALTA members conduct title searches, examinations, closings and issue title insurance that protects real property owners and mortgage lenders against losses from defects in titles.
“As the FHFA takes steps to address the housing shortage, it is essential to remember that title insurance and the work of title professionals secure the integrity of every real estate transaction in America,” added Tomb. “It protects property rights, reduces risk and ensures confidence in homeownership.”
The FHFA is an independent agency established by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA), responsible for the effective supervision, regulation, and housing mission oversight of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Bank System, which includes the 11 Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks) and the Office of Finance (OF). The FHFA’s mission is to ensure that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the GSEs) and the FHLBanks fulfill their mission by serving as a reliable source of liquidity and funding for housing finance and community investment.
