Mike,
I agree with you regarding local banks on some level. I do a lot of construction loans. Being here in Tx there is so much new construction that it just falls in your lap. I find that using local banks for my interim loans helps out quite a bit because instead of an UW declining the loan because of some ridiculous guideline that was writtin in 1997 I get more of “make sense UW” at the local level. My only issue is that sometimes it takes FOREVER to get the loan closed because they work at their own pace. No posted turn times. I had to wait on an approval last week because one of the loan committee members was on a fishing trip. LOL.