Invest: Miami speaks with Israel Velasco, Florida Regional Executive, Popular Community Bank

Invest: Miami speaks with Israel Velasco, Florida Regional Executive, Popular Community Bank

2022-07-12T03:02:32-04:00September 28th, 2017|Banking & Finance, Miami|

The mortgage lending market has performed well. With rates as low as they are now, despite the Fed’s recent increase, buyers and homeowners continue to refinance. However, the new regulation on residential mortgage lending has made it tougher for clients to understand the process. After the 2007-08 debacle in the mortgage industry, we saw a complete pendulum swing to the other side. Now, there are greater requirements for documentation, making the overall process longer. If you haven’t applied for a mortgage since 2008, you’ll be shocked by how much harder it is today. Compliance will also cause issues, becoming a big part of the overall personnel cost for banks. When regulations get tougher, it gets harder for small banks to comply. That’s why there will be more mergers and acquisitions in the upcoming years. The concept that banking regulation is one-size- fits-all is flawed because not all banks are created equal. Putting the same burden on banks regardless of their size distorts competition. This is a factor that needs to be considered. However, deposits continue to be strong and have been for some time now. South Florida is a good market for deposits and rates will continue to help. The amount of small businesses and wealth we have is also positive for deposits. We will continue to see consistent deposit and loan growth, provided credit quality remains strong. There is growth in other asset classes such as retail, industrial and to a lesser extent, office. The short-term growth may be more evenly distributed among these business lines.

Share This Story!