FDIC: Atlanta Banks Limiting CRE Risks

Banks with high exposures to commercial real estate loans in the Atlanta area have managed to keep delinquencies and chargeoffs low, according to an article in a new supervisory journal by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.Despite high vacancies and weak market fundamentals, site visits to 67 banks found that most of the banks are doing a "good job" of managing the risks, according to the first edition of the FDIC's Supervisory Insights. Examiners found that the banks largely limited their CRE lending to one- to four-family residential development projects and owner-occupied commercial properties, with limited involvement in speculative retail and office construction loans. "The type of lending products insured institutions offer and their risk management practices may mitigate the potential risks," FDIC says.