tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19665995.post-1143468227275393272006-03-27T09:02:00.000-05:002006-03-27T09:04:11.993-05:00WASHINGTON -- The rapid growth in commercial real-estate loans made by community banks bears watching, even as these mostly smaller, local banks remain in good overall financial health, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned Wednesday.<br /><br />"In most local markets, commercial real-estate loans have performed well," Bernanke said. "Our examiners tell us that lending standards are generally sound" and are not comparable to the lax standards that contributed to the savings and loan crisis two decades ago, he said.<br /><br />"However, more recently, there have been signs of some easing of underwriting standards," Bernanke said in prepared remarks to the Independent Community Bankers of America meeting in Las Vegas.<br /><br />The rapid growth of commercial real-estate loans "raises the possibility that risk-management practices in community banks may not have kept pace with growing concentrations and may be due for upgrades in oversight," he said.<br /><br />A copy of Bernanke's remarks was distributed in Washington.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Athens Georgia Real Estate</div>Burton Real Estate & Developmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08818859657451845676noreply@blogger.com