Need suggestion on banks (Little Rock, Pine Bluff: real estate, mortgage, broker)

[supersonic_528]

I have recently moved to Little Rock. I currently do my banking with Wells Fargo but they don't have any branches in the LR area, so I am planning to open a new account (while still keeping the WF account). I would prefer a local/smaller bank and one that is good for real estate investment and small business. It will be good if they have more than one branch in/around LR area. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[Old Fossil]

We have been banking with 1Bank for several years and well pleased with the personnel. We haven't done any "heavy" banking with them but they are a full service bank. They have had some internal management problems for the past few years, including Federal take-over, but that is all internal and doesn't affect customers.

[btoverdrive]

I use Bank of the Ozarks, headquartered in Little Rock. Relyance Bank is also a local bank, headquartered in Pine Bluff.

[supersonic_528]

Thank you Old Fossil and btoverdrive. I would be particularly interested in knowing how these banks are for mortgage and business lending, if you have any experience with those.
In any case, I was wondering.. is it beneficial to use the same bank where I do my personal banking for mortgage/business lending? Do I get better rates?

[btoverdrive]

Originally Posted by supersonic_528

Thank you Old Fossil and btoverdrive. I would be particularly interested in knowing how these banks are for mortgage and business lending, if you have any experience with those.
In any case, I was wondering.. is it beneficial to use the same bank where I do my personal banking for mortgage/business lending? Do I get better rates?

Do not know, my mortgages have been with Wells Fargo for years. We have always found the best rates with them.

[Old Fossil]

Originally Posted by supersonic_528

Thank you Old Fossil and btoverdrive. I would be particularly interested in knowing how these banks are for mortgage and business lending, if you have any experience with those.
In any case, I was wondering.. is it beneficial to use the same bank where I do my personal banking for mortgage/business lending? Do I get better rates?

I don't know about better rates but I feel you would get better service if you did everything at the same bank. Before we moved to L.R. we did everything at one bank and we became "family". For me, the service I get is as important as the rate. Unless of course, if you are talking about megabucks.

[followthegold]

I'd be careful with big name banks like US Bank, etc. I got burned big time with them. Was told I was approved for a mortgage, just decide which house you want to put an offer on, packed my belongings, told everyone I was moving but called the bank just one more time to get final details and confirm. Ha ha, joke was on me. Hard, cold voice said oh, I can't give you a mortgage. Didn't bother to tell me. Bottom line, I wanted to put almost half down and have a very small mortgage. Yes, I was approved but they don't like to give small mortgages, no money in it for them so they find ways to disqualify you. Stick with a nice small hometown bank who you can work with.

[Old Fossil]

Originally Posted by whutChubowdiBout

Banks are not your friend and certainly not "family", that's laughable. Bigger banks have lower cost of funds so their rates most times are more competitive. Mortgages are another matter - just find the cheapest deal, lowest rate to borrow no matter where the hell the money is coming from whether locally or through a broker that gets and offers money through a non-bank lender!

"family" may be laughable to you, but it depends on your experience compared to mine I say again; we were treated as family at our old bank and we would still be using it if we hadn't moved away .

[Quert]

Originally Posted by supersonic_528

I have recently moved to Little Rock. I currently do my banking with Wells Fargo but they don't have any branches in the LR area, so I am planning to open a new account (while still keeping the WF account). I would prefer a local/smaller bank and one that is good for real estate investment and small business. It will be good if they have more than one branch in/around LR area. Any suggestions? Thanks.

LOL - Welcome to our struggle. When I first moved here I had to drive to St. Louis and back just to get cash for a used vehicle. It took me 9 hours to get there and back home .

[Old Fossil]

Originally Posted by ricardoAlvara

I don't know any bank customer in 2017 or for the last 20 yrs that have been treated like family - if you have, you are a very very rare customer. The days of true community banking are long gone. I love it when I hear that bank customers think they have established a *relationship with some dumb banker. They aren't doing you a favor, you're doing THEM a favor for walking in the front door and even borrowing money. They are providing some kind of community service. They are in business to take advantage of you walking in the front door LOL

"family" - O.K., I'll make this final Post then drop the subject because from your Post I was a "very very rare customer" and didn't realize it because I could go directly to the office of the president and talk to him, and if I was in the bank and some of the bank officers saw me they would come by to say hello and b.s. for a few minutes. I thought they treated everyone that way. Obviously I had it made and didn't realize it