The Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico closed Fiscal ’12 with a record-setting $208 million portfolio of loans granted to the island’s small and mid-sized businesses, the highest figure on record since its establishment in 1985, agency officials said Thursday.
Puerto Rico’s banking sector is not generating enough deposit activity to fund loan demand, which makes it very competitive and leads to higher deposit costs when compared to the mainland U.S.
As the mortgage banking industry tightens conditions for loan approvals, market newcomer Multi Mortgage has been quietly positioning itself as a go-to option for local consumers, closing on some $20 million in loans less than a year after being established.