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                                                                     EXHIBIT 5.1




               [HONIGMAN MILLER SCHWARTZ AND COHN LLP LETTERHEAD]


                                  July 30, 2001


Pulte Homes, Inc.
33 Bloomfield Hills Parkway, Suite 200
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48304

         Re:      Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We have represented Pulte Homes, Inc., a Michigan corporation (the
"Company"), in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") of a Registration Statement on Form
S-8 (the "Registration Statement"), for registration under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), of a maximum of 2,500,000 of the
Company's Common Shares (the "Common Stock"), to be issued under or pursuant to
options granted under the Pulte Corporation 2000 Stock Incentive Plan for Key
Employees (the "Plan").

         Based upon our examination of such documents and other matters as we
deem relevant, it is our opinion that the shares of the Common Stock to be
offered by the Company under the Plan pursuant to the Registration Statement
have been duly authorized and, when issued by the Company in accordance with the
Plan and the stock options exercised thereunder, will be legally issued, fully
paid and nonassessable.

         We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not admit hereby that we
come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of
the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder.

                                     Very truly yours,

                                     /s/ Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP

                                     HONIGMAN MILLER SCHWARTZ AND COHN LLP
DF/LAM/RJK