Walton Global Launches Fund to Tackle Housing Crisis Via Land Deals

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – February 13, 2026 – Responding to a persistent national housing shortage and a strategic shift among homebuilders, real estate investment firm Walton Global has announced the launch of its American Builder Growth and Income Fund. The company aims to raise up to $500 million to finance and acquire land for future residential development, positioning itself as a key intermediary between capital markets and the nation’s top construction firms.

“U.S. housing is fundamentally undersupplied, land is increasingly scarce, and affordability continues to be a concern,” said Bill Doherty, CEO of Walton Global, in the announcement. The new fund is designed to capitalize on this environment by providing a dual-strategy investment vehicle for accredited investors, family offices, and Registered Investment Advisors.

The Land Bottleneck

The fund enters a market defined by a severe lack of housing inventory. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the U.S. faces a structural housing deficit exceeding 1.2 million units. Other analysts place the figure even higher, nearing 4 million homes, the result of more than a decade of underbuilding relative to population growth.

A primary driver of this shortage is the increasing difficulty and cost of securing developable land. A 2025 NAHB survey revealed that 64% of single-family builders are grappling with a shortage of lots, a figure that has remained stubbornly high for years. This scarcity is a critical component of what the industry calls the “Five Ls” holding back construction: a lack of labor, lots, lending, lumber, and an excess of legal and regulatory hurdles.

Walton Global's strategy targets this very bottleneck. By focusing on high-growth metropolitan areas, particularly in the Sunbelt, the firm aims to acquire and prepare land, making it available to builders at the moment they need it most.

A Capital-Efficient Solution for Builders

The American Builder Growth and Income Fund employs a hybrid model. One part of the strategy involves providing income-oriented, secured land loans through Walton’s established Builder Land Financing platform. The other focuses on growth through the direct acquisition of land, which is then sold to developers, aiming to capture capital appreciation.

A key element of this approach is timing. Doherty highlighted that the “point of maximum opportunity occurs at the entitled, infrastructure-ready land stage.” At this point, most of the zoning and permitting risks have been eliminated, but the massive capital outlay for vertical construction has not yet begun. Builders are willing to pay a premium for this de-risked land, allowing them to deploy their capital more efficiently.

This model aligns with a significant trend among public homebuilders who are increasingly prioritizing balance-sheet discipline. Rather than tying up capital for years in land holdings, many now prefer using options and land-banking partnerships to control their future lot supply. “Public homebuilders increasingly prioritize capital efficiency and balance-sheet discipline rather than tying up capital in land holdings,” Doherty noted. This creates a stable, recurring demand for partners like Walton who can bridge the gap.

The Investor Pitch: Real Assets in Uncertain Times

For investors, the fund is being positioned as a tangible asset play with unique benefits in the current economic climate. “During periods of economic uncertainty, real assets are often favored due to their intrinsic value,” said Katie Hubbard, President of Capital Markets in the U.S. for Walton Global. “Land offers durable inflation protection, low correlation to financial markets and provides an opportunity for ongoing income and growth with upside.”

With a history spanning over 47 years, Walton Global brings a significant track record to the table. The privately-owned company reports managing more than 85,000 acres of land and $4.54 billion in assets, having distributed nearly $3 billion to its global investor base. The firm's long-standing relationships with a majority of the nation’s top 20 homebuilders are central to its business model, providing predictable exit pathways for its land assets.

Risks and Realities of Land Banking

While the strategy addresses clear market needs, land banking as an investment class is not without its risks. The practice is inherently long-term and speculative, relying on future development demand and favorable market conditions that are never guaranteed. Investors in such ventures face ongoing holding costs, including property taxes and maintenance, which can erode returns if development timelines are extended.

Furthermore, the value of land is heavily influenced by external factors beyond an asset manager's control, such as changes in local zoning laws, unforeseen environmental issues, and broader economic downturns that can depress the housing market. While Walton’s model of pre-arranging exits with builders is designed to mitigate some of these risks, the fundamental unpredictability of real estate development remains a factor.

The success of the American Builder Growth and Income Fund will ultimately depend on Walton Global's ability to navigate these complexities, execute its dual-pronged strategy effectively, and continue to align the interests of its investors with the evolving needs of the homebuilding industry. As builders continue to seek capital-light ways to secure their pipelines, funds like this represent a critical financial cog in the machine tasked with closing America's housing gap.