In Connecticut, a portion of the formal and informal talk here is about how builder news touches on lenders. (As an aside, Home Depot’s earnings, reported this morning, are solid.) Plenty of building materials come from Canada and Mexico, and the letter from the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) to President Trump asking for tariff exemptions on building materials caught people’s attention. But overall, builders seem to be doing just fine… Why should builders be in a rush to build more homes? Bill Pulte, part of the builder family, has been nominated to run the FHFA, conservator for Freddie & Fannie. PulteGroup grew closings by 9% and home sales revenue by 11% during a record-setting fiscal 2024. For the full year, the home builder generated home sales revenue of $17.3 billion, home closings of 31,219, and profit of $3.1 billion, or $14.69 per share. Drees Homes, the No. 41 company on the 2024 Builder 100 list, is acquiring the assets of San Antonio-based Monticello Homes. The acquisition grows Drees’ portfolio to 11 metropolitan areas nationwide, including the four major Texas markets. Empire Communities, the No. 56 company on the 2024 Builder 100 list, has expanded its presence in the Carolinas through the acquisition of Charlotte-based SouthCraft Home Builders. (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s is sponsored by Sagent. Sagent brings the modern experience customers now expect from loan originations to loan servicing, where lifetime customer relationships are managed and grown. Hear an interview with Sagent’s Omer Farooque and Perry Hilzendeger on key milestones one year after the launch of Dara, AI-driven innovations, real-time data solutions, and how their cutting-edge servicing technology is reshaping the mortgage industry.)