Stats on Local Banks' Exposures to RE Loans
Today's Puget Sound Business Journal has a front-page article "Exposure: State banks vulnerable to risky building sector." Not available online, so will summarize.
The article notes that, though small local banks couldn't get a big bite of risky mortgage loans because their larger national competitors snapped those up, they have managed to rack up biggity-big exposure in CRE and construction loans to home builders. Mentions dropping stock prices, planned layoffs and surging loan reserves. "It's like flying in a snowstorm. You don't know who's going to hit the side of a mountain," said Bob Rogowski, managing director of corporate finance at McAdams Wright Ragen.
Inside has a bar chart of local banks' reported September exposure to construction loans (home, commercial and land development) relative to average gross loans and leases:
10%: National average of all insured commercial banks
22%: First Savings Bank, Renton
31%: Washington First International Bank, Seattle
32%: Sterling Savings Bank, Spokane
34%: Cascade Bank, Everett
36%: Banner Bank, Walla Walla
41%: Horizon Bank, Bellingham
44%: HomeStreet Bank, Seattle
45%: Venture Bank, Lacey
48%: Frontier Bank, Everett
70%: City Bank, Lynnwood
On average, 56% of Washington commercial banks' loans are in commercial real estate and construction. FDIC ranks them third in the nation behind Arizona and Alaska in this respect.
"As banks reveal their 2007 fourth-quarter results over the next few weeks, the picture will become clearer."
The article notes that, though small local banks couldn't get a big bite of risky mortgage loans because their larger national competitors snapped those up, they have managed to rack up biggity-big exposure in CRE and construction loans to home builders. Mentions dropping stock prices, planned layoffs and surging loan reserves. "It's like flying in a snowstorm. You don't know who's going to hit the side of a mountain," said Bob Rogowski, managing director of corporate finance at McAdams Wright Ragen.
Inside has a bar chart of local banks' reported September exposure to construction loans (home, commercial and land development) relative to average gross loans and leases:
10%: National average of all insured commercial banks
22%: First Savings Bank, Renton
31%: Washington First International Bank, Seattle
32%: Sterling Savings Bank, Spokane
34%: Cascade Bank, Everett
36%: Banner Bank, Walla Walla
41%: Horizon Bank, Bellingham
44%: HomeStreet Bank, Seattle
45%: Venture Bank, Lacey
48%: Frontier Bank, Everett
70%: City Bank, Lynnwood
On average, 56% of Washington commercial banks' loans are in commercial real estate and construction. FDIC ranks them third in the nation behind Arizona and Alaska in this respect.
"As banks reveal their 2007 fourth-quarter results over the next few weeks, the picture will become clearer."
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