Credit standards on loan applications for construction and land development loans or credit lines tightened, on net, over the third quarter of 2015.
According to the most recent iteration of the Federal Reserve Board’s Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey, a net share of 4.4 percent says that lending standards at their respective commercial bank tightened. The net share represents the difference between the share of survey respondents that says lending standards at their respective bank had eased and the portion of respondents mentioning that lending standards at their bank had tightened. Just over 7 percent of senior bank officers says that lending standards on construction and land development loans had eased, but 11.6 percent mentioned that standards on these loans had tightened.
Lending standards tightened at both large banks and other banks. However, the proportion of respondents mentioning that standards had tightened, on net, was greater at other banks than at large banks. According to the Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey, large banks represent the largest national banks while other banks represent smaller, regional banks. Lending standards on construction and land development loans at large national banks tightened by 2.6 percent on net as 5.1 percent of respondents says standards had eased and 7.7 percent mentioned that standards had tightened. Meanwhile, lending standards at other banks tightened by 6.7 percent as 10.0 percent of senior officers at other banks mentioned that standards had eased, while 16.7 percent says standards had tightened.
A previous post demonstrated that while the 20 largest banks, as measured by the total dollar value of loans and leases, hold the majority of single-family first-lien mortgages, these banks hold a minority of construction and land development loans. The minority stake of construction and land development loans outstanding held by the 20 largest banks has endured over the entire period for which data is available, 2001 to the second quarter of 2015. While the share of all construction and land development loans held by the 20 largest banks returned to its 2008 level by the end of 2013, the share of the components of construction and land development loans, 1-4 family construction loans and other construction and land development loans, held by the Top 20 banks has changed.
The 20 largest banks accounted for 31 percent of construction and land development loans in 2001. All other banks held the rest, 69 percent. After some fluctuation, the share of construction and land development loans held by the 20 largest banks rose by 2 percentage points to 33 percent by 2008. The share of construction and land development loans held by the 20 largest banks rose to 38 percent in 2009 before beginning its descent. By 2013, the 20 largest banks held 33 percent of construction and land development loans, its share in 2008, where it has stabilized.
Similarly, the share of other construction and land development loans held by larger banks also declined between 2009 and 2013, but the decrease was not nearly as great. After peaking at 39 percent in 2009 and holding steady at that percentage level until 2011, the share of other construction and land development loans held by the Top 20 largest banks dipped to 36 percent in 2012, but rose to 37 percent in 2013. At 37 percent, the level it has stabilized at since 2013, the share of other construction and land development loans held by the 20 largest banks remains above the percentage level recorded in 2008.
View this original article on NAHB’s blog, Eye on Housing.
