Frisco Bank Has Highest Average Loan Size

First Republic Bank of San Francisco has the largest average loan size among all U.S. lenders, according to figures compiled by the Quarterly Data Report, an affiliate of MortgageWire.In the third quarter First Republic had an average loan size of $733,190, a 7% increase from that of a year earlier. San Francisco, where the bank is headquartered, is one of the most expensive housing markets in the United States. Thornburg Mortgage of Santa Fe, N.M., a jumbo loan specialist, ranked second in the average loan-size category. Thornburg had an average loan size of $513,859 in the third quarter, a 2% increase from that of a year earlier. The lender with the largest increase in loan size was PFF Bank & Trust, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. PFF saw its average loan size increase to $235,323, compared with $111,996 in the third quarter of 2002. In early February, the Quarterly Data Report will publish fourth-quarter rankings on top lenders and their average loan sizes.