Commercial real estate echoes ag's collapse

ORLANDO — Florida's unfolding commercial real estate crisis is washing over community banks on the Gulf Coast like a hurricane surge.

But veteran community bankers from the Midwest have seen this storm before, just not based in commercial real estate and construction problems. And they are worried that today's hyper-regulatory environment and fearful examiners could result in a less happy ending.

Sitting down the with the Business Review and a few other media outlets here last week, leaders of the Independent Community Bankers of America explained the parallels and the worrisome departure from the historical norm of examiners offering latitude to banks.