Texas Commercial Lending: Could local banks benefit as a result of Hurricane Harvey?

Texas commercial lending will feel the impact of Hurricane Harvey. But commercial lenders in the Houston area expect certain sectors of the local economy to see an uptick. Could a short term boost in economic activity help the regions banks?

Houston based banks will see an increase in both lending and deposits, this could prove beneficial in spite of the short term losses incurred as a result of Hurricane Harvey. Recovery efforts after disasters can inject new life into the economies of impacted areas. During Hurricane Ike, Houston reported an increase in sales tax revenue. The case could be similar with Hurricane Harvey. A burst of economic activity in specific sectors could benefit the regions banks. In particular lending related to those areas of the economy that could benefit as a result of the storm.

Commercial lenders anticipate certain sectors of the region’s economy to experience an uptick in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. No doubt hotels will see a short-term spike in business and the multi-family market will experience increased demand as well. Commerce CEO, Ralph Babb Jr, noted in at a recent conference that “As a result of Hurricane Harvey, leasing activity has picked up substantially.” Displaced residents are looking for temporary housing, increasing the demand for apartments. Consumer loans, construction loans and auto loans will rise as well, as residents seek funding to replace damaged property. Short term increases in these areas of the local economy will help prop-up lending activity for local banks and this may even translate into a long term benefit.

Major disasters can be a net positive for local banks. Outreach efforts by local banks to disaster victims could strengthen customer relationships and help attract new business. Hovde Group analyst Joel Fenech cites Hurricane Katrina as an example of how disasters can benefit banks both in the short term and the long term, stating “the timing of Katrina, in my view, actually helped to shield the affected banks from the more devastating impacts of the Great Recession.” Fenech claims that banks that lent after Katrina emerged from the recession stronger and some even became acquirers of struggling banks.

Higher insurance prices will impact Texas commercial lending in the long run, but short term job growth for reconstruction may bolster construction loans.

The storm might deter new construction in Houston, but it could also prop up job growth in the short term. Major disasters increase risk for insurers, inflating the cost of policies. Higher insurance rates might deter new construction, unrelated to rebuilding efforts in the long term. The demand for new construction in Houston however has been tepid for some time. Efforts to rebuild could prop up jobs related to construction and bring about short-term employment opportunities in this struggling sector of the local economy.

Texas commercial lenders will benefit from Harvey in the short term, it is unclear whether this short term boost will translate into long term growth.

The hospitality industry will benefit and apartment sales will increase as a result of Hurricane Harvey. Consumer loans and loans related to reconstruction will also rise as residents seek to repair and replace damaged property. Reconstruction efforts could prop up employment in the short term. Whether these short term benefits due to the storm will translate into long term benefits for regions banks remains uncertain.

Dennis Dahlberg
Broker/RI/CEO/MLO
Level 4 Funding LLC  Private Hard Money Lender
Arizona Tel:  (623) 582-4444
Texas Tel:      (512) 516-1177
Dennis@level4funding.com NMLS 1057378 | AZMB 0923961 | MLO 1057378
22601 N 19th Ave Suite 112 | Phoenix | AZ | 85027
111 Congress Ave |Austin | Texas | 78701

About the Author:  Dennis has been working in the real estate industry in some capacity for the last 40 years. He purchased his first property when he was just 18 years old. He quickly learned about the amazing investment opportunities provided by trust deed investing and hard money loans. His desire to help others make money in real estate investing led him to specialize in alternative funding for real estate investors who may have trouble getting a traditional bank loan. Dennis is passionate about alternative funding sources and sharing his knowledge with others to help make their dreams come true. Dennis has been married to his wonderful wife for 42 years. They have 2 beautiful daughters 5 amazing grandchildren. Dennis has been an Arizona resident for the past 40 years.

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