HVBC 2016 Annual Report

6 with FHA, USDA and VA guidelines. Virtually all of our one- to four-family residential real estate loans are secured by properties located in our market area. We generally limit the loan-to-value ratios of our mortgage loans without private mortgage insurance to 80% of the sales price or appraised value, whichever is lower. Loans where the borrower obtains private mortgage insurance may be made with loan-to-value ratios up to 90%. Our adjustable-rate one- to four-family residential real estate loans carry terms to maturity ranging from 10 to 30 years and generally have fixed rates for initial terms of five or seven years, and adjust annually thereafter at a margin, which in recent years has been tied to a margin above the LIBOR and Treasury rate. The maximum amount by which the interest rate may be increased or decreased is generally 5% for the first adjustment period and 2% per adjustment period thereafter, with a lifetime interest rate cap of generally 5% over the initial interest rate of the loan. We typically hold in portfolio our adjustable-rate one- to four-family residential real estate loans. Although adjustable-rate mortgage loans may reduce to an extent our vulnerability to changes in market interest rates because they periodically re-price, as interest rates increase the required payments due from the borrower also increase (subject to rate caps), increasing the potential for default by the borrower. At the same time, the ability of the borrower to repay the loan and the marketability of the underlying collateral may be adversely affected by higher interest rates. Upward adjustments of the contractual interest rate are also limited by our maximum periodic and lifetime rate adjustments. Moreover, the interest rates on most of our adjustable-rate loans do not adjust for up to seven years after origination. As a result, the effectiveness of adjustable-rate mortgage loans in compensating for changes in market interest rates generally may be limited. We offer on a limited basis one- to four-family residential real estate loans secured by non-owner occupied properties. Generally, we require personal guarantees from the borrowers on these properties, and we will not make loans in excess of 85% loan to value on non-owner-occupied properties. We have not offered but may offer “interest only” mortgage loans on permanent one- to four-family residential real estate loans (where the borrower pays interest for an initial period, after which the loan converts to a fully amortizing loan). We also have not offered and will not offer loans that provide for negative amortization of principal, such as “Option ARM” loans, where the borrower can pay less than the interest owed on the loan, resulting in an increased principal balance during the life of the loan. We have not had a “subprime lending” program for one- to four-family residential real estate loans ( i.e. , loans that generally target borrowers with weakened credit histories typically characterized by payment delinquencies, previous charge-offs, judgments, bankruptcies, or borrowers with questionable repayment capacity as evidenced by low credit scores or high debt- burden ratios), or “Alt-A” loans (i.e., loans that generally target borrowers with better credit scores who borrow with alternative documentation such as little or no verification of income). We generally require title insurance on all of our one- to four-family residential real estate mortgage loans, and we also require that borrowers maintain fire and extended coverage casualty insurance (and, if appropriate, flood insurance) in an amount at least equal to the lesser of the loan balance or the replacement cost of the improvements. Substantially all of our residential real estate mortgage loans have a mortgage escrow account from which disbursements are made for real estate taxes and flood insurance. We do not conduct environmental testing on residential real estate mortgage loans unless specific concerns for hazards are identified by the appraiser used in connection with the origination of the loan. If we identify an environmental problem on land that will secure a loan, the environmental hazard must be remediated before the closing of the loan. When underwriting residential real estate loans, we review and verify each loan applicant’s employment, income and credit history and, if applicable, our experience with the borrower. Our policy is to obtain credit reports and financial statements on all borrowers and guarantors, and to verify references. Properties securing real estate loans are appraised by board-approved independent appraisers. Appraisals are subsequently reviewed by our loan underwriting department. Home Equity Loans and Lines of Credit. We also offer home equity loans and home equity lines of credit, both of which are secured by either first mortgages or second mortgages on owner occupied one- to four-family residences. At June 30, 2017, outstanding home equity loans and equity lines of credit totaled $5.5 million, or 4.9%