Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. - Annual Report: 2017 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

                                                                                                                                                                                                      

FORM 10-K

☒	ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017

OR

	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from _______ to_______

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 001-35633

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (206) 448-0884

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Common Stock, par value $.01 per share

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Title of each class

None

Indicate by checkmark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

YES  NO ☒

Indicate by checkmark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

YES  NO ☒

Indicate by checkmark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

YES ☒ NO 

Indicate by checkmark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

YES ☒ NO 

Indicate by checkmark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ☒

Indicate by checkmark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company.  See the definition of "large accelerated filer," accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company" and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by checkmark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). YES  NO ☒

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates as of June 30, 2017, the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $64.2 million. (The exclusion from such amount of the market value of the shares owned by any person shall not be deemed an admission by the registrant that such person is an affiliate of the registrant.)

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant's classes of common stock as of the latest practicable date: As of March 27, 2018, there were 2,524,346 shares of the registrant's common stock outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

PART III of Form 10-K – Portions of the Registrant's Proxy Statement for its 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

 

PART I
		Page
Item 1.	Business	3
Item 1A.	Risk Factors	35
Item 1B.	Unresolved Staff Comments	36
Item 2.	Properties	36
Item 3.	Legal Proceedings	37
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	37
PART II
Item 5.	Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities	38
Item 6.	Selected Financial Data	39
Item 7.	Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	41
Item 7A.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	55
Item 8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data	57
Item 9.	Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure	95
Item 9A.	Controls and Procedures	95
Item 9B.	Other Information	96
PART III
Item 10.	Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance	96
Item 11.	Executive Compensation	97
Item 12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters	97
Item 13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence	98
Item 14.	Principal Accounting Fees and Services	98
PART IV
Item 15.	Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules	98
Signatures
Power of Attorney

 

 

PART I

Item 1.

Business

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters discussed in this Form 10-K constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance or business. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact, are based on certain assumptions and are generally identified by use of the words "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "forecasts," "intends," "plans," "targets," "potentially," "probably," "projects," "outlook" or similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as "may," "will," "should," "would" and "could." Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, assumptions and statements about, among other things, expectations of the business environment in which we operate, projections of future performance or financial items, perceived opportunities in the market, potential future credit experience, and statements regarding our mission and vision. These forward-looking statements are based upon current management expectations and may, therefore, involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results, performance, or achievements may differ materially from those suggested, expressed, or implied by forward-looking statements as a result of a wide variety or range of factors including, but not limited to:

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changes in economic conditions, either nationally or in our market area;

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fluctuations in interest rates;

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the risks of lending and investing activities, including changes in the level and direction of loan delinquencies and write-offs and changes in estimates of the adequacy of our allowance for loan losses;

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the possibility of other-than-temporary impairments of securities held in our securities portfolio;

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our ability to access cost-effective funding;

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fluctuations in the demand for loans, the number of unsold homes, land and other properties, and fluctuations in real estate values and both residential and commercial and multifamily real estate market conditions in our market area;

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secondary market conditions for loans and our ability to sell loans in the secondary market;

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our ability to attract and retain deposits;

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our ability to successfully integrate any assets, liabilities, clients, systems, and management personnel we may acquire into our operations and our ability to realize related revenue synergies and expected cost savings and other benefits within the anticipated time frames or at all;

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legislative or regulatory changes such as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and its implementing regulations that adversely affect our business, as well as changes in regulatory policies and principles, or the interpretation of regulatory capital or other rules including changes related to Basel III;

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monetary and fiscal policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System ("Federal Reserve") and the U.S. Government and other governmental initiatives affecting the financial services industry;

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results of examinations of Sound Financial Bancorp and Sound Community Bank by their regulators, including the possibility that the regulators may, among other things, require us to increase our allowance for loan losses or to write-down assets, change Sound Community Bank's regulatory capital position or affect our ability to borrow funds or maintain or increase deposits, which could adversely affect our liquidity and earnings;

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increases in premiums for deposit insurance;

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our ability to control operating costs and expenses;

 

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the use of estimates in determining fair value of certain of our assets, which estimates may prove to be incorrect and result in significant declines in valuation;

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difficulties in reducing risks associated with the loans on our balance sheet;

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staffing fluctuations in response to product demand or the implementation of corporate strategies that affect our workforce and potential associated charges;

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our ability to keep pace with technological changes, including our ability to identify and address cyber-security risks such as data security breaches, "denial of service" attacks, "hacking" and identity theft, and other attacks on our information technology systems or on the third-party vendors who perform several of our critical processing functions;

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inability of key third-party providers to perform their obligations to us;

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our ability to retain key members of our senior management team;

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costs and effects of litigation, including settlements and judgments;

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our ability to implement our business strategies;

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increased competitive pressures among financial services companies;

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changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits;

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the availability of resources to address changes in laws, rules, or regulations or to respond to regulatory actions;

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our ability to pay dividends on our common stock;

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adverse changes in the securities markets;

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changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the financial institution regulatory agencies or the Financial Accounting Standards Board, including additional guidance and interpretation on accounting issues and details of the implementation of new accounting methods; and

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other economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory, and technological factors affecting our operations, pricing, products and services and the other risks described from time to time in this Form 10-K and our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") .

We wish to advise readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements and that the factors listed above could materially affect our financial performance and could cause our actual results for future periods to differ materially from any such forward-looking statements expressed with respect to future periods and could negatively affect our stock price performance.

We do not undertake and specifically decline any obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions which may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

General

References in this document to Sound Financial Bancorp or the Company refer to Sound Financial Bancorp, Inc. and references to the "Bank" refer to Sound Community Bank. References to "we," "us," and "our" means Sound Financial Bancorp and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sound Community Bank, unless the context otherwise requires.

Sound Financial Bancorp, a Maryland corporation, is a bank holding company for its wholly owned subsidiary, Sound Community Bank. Substantially all of Sound Financial Bancorp's business is conducted through Sound Community Bank, a Washington state-chartered commercial bank. As a Washington commercial bank, the Bank's regulators are the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions ("WDFI") and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC"). The Federal Reserve is the primary federal regulator for Sound Financial Bancorp.

Sound Community Bank's deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the FDIC.  At December 31, 2017, Sound Financial Bancorp had total consolidated assets of $645.2 million, net loans of $543.4 million, deposits of $514.4 million and stockholders' equity of $65.2 million.  The shares of Sound Financial Bancorp are traded on The NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol "SFBC."  Our executive offices are located at 2400 3^rd Avenue, Suite 150, Seattle, Washington, 98121.

Our principal business consists of attracting retail and commercial deposits from the general public and local governments and investing those funds, along with borrowed funds, in loans secured by first and second mortgages on one- to four-family residences (including home equity loans and lines of credit), commercial and multifamily real estate, construction and land, consumer and commercial business loans. Our commercial business loans include unsecured lines of credit and secured term loans and lines of credit secured by inventory, equipment and accounts receivable. We also offer a variety of secured and unsecured consumer loan products, including manufactured home loans, floating home loans, automobile loans, boat loans and recreational vehicle loans. As part of our business, we focus on residential mortgage loan originations, many of which we sell to Fannie Mae and a portion of which we retain for our loan portfolio consistent with our asset/liability objectives. We sell loans which conform to the underwriting standards of Fannie Mae ("conforming") with servicing retained to maintain the direct client relationship and to generate noninterest income. Residential loans which do not conform to the underwriting standards of Fannie Mae ("non-conforming"), are either held in our loan portfolio or sold with servicing released. We originate and retain a significant amount of commercial real estate loans, including those secured by owner-occupied and nonowner-occupied commercial real estate, multifamily property, mobile home parks and construction and land development loans.

Market Area

We serve the Seattle Metropolitan Statistical Area ("MSA"), which includes King County (which includes the city of Seattle), Pierce County and Snohomish County within the Puget Sound region, and also serve Clallam and Jefferson Counties, on the North Olympic Peninsula of Washington.  We serve these markets through our headquarters in Seattle, seven branch offices, four of which are located in the Seattle MSA, two that are located in Clallam County and one that is located in Jefferson County. We also have two loan production offices, one located in the Madison Park neighborhood of Seattle and one located in Sequim.  Based on the most recent branch deposit data provided by the FDIC, our share of deposits was approximately 0.11% in King County, approximately 0.50% in Pierce County and in Snohomish County approximately 0.36%.  In Clallam County and Jefferson County, we have approximately 16.1% and 6.5%, respectively, of the deposits in those markets.  See "– Competition."

Our market area includes a diverse population of management, professional and sales personnel, office employees, health care workers, manufacturing and transportation workers, service industry workers and government employees, as well as retired and self-employed individuals. The population has a skilled work force with a wide range of education levels and ethnic backgrounds. Major employment sectors include information and communications technology, financial services, manufacturing, maritime, biotechnology, education, health and social services, retail trades, transportation and professional services. The largest employers headquartered in our market area include U.S. Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Navy Region Northwest, Microsoft, University of Washington, and Providence Health. Other significant employers include Costco, Boeing, Nordstrom, Amazon.com, Starbucks, Alaska Air Group and Weyerhaeuser.

Economic conditions in our markets continue to improve over the last year.  Recent trends in housing prices and unemployment rates in our market areas reflect continuing improvement. For the month of December 2017, the Seattle MSA reported an unemployment rate of 3.8%, as compared to the national average of 4.1%, according to the latest available information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Home prices in our markets also improved over the past year.  Based on information from Case-Shiller, the average home price in the Seattle MSA increased 12.7% in 2017 from 2016. This compares favorably to the national average home price index increase in 2017 of 6.2%.

King County has the largest population of any county in the state of Washington, covers approximately 2,100 square miles, and is located on Puget Sound. It had approximately 2.1 million residents and a median household income of approximately $85,000 at December 31, 2016. King County has a diversified economic base with many employers from various industries including shipping and transportation (Port of Seattle, Paccar, and Expeditors International of Washington), retail (Amazon.com, Starbucks and Nordstrom) aerospace (Boeing) and computer technology (Microsoft) and biotech industries. Based on information from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service ("MLS"), the median home sales price in King County in December 2017 was $635,000, a 15.5% increase from December 2016's median home sales price of $550,000.

Pierce County has the second largest population of any county in the State of Washington, covers approximately 1,700 square miles and is located along the southwestern Puget Sound and borders southern King County. At December 31, 2016, it had approximately 845,000 residents and a median household income of approximately $61,000. The Pierce County economy is diversified with the presence of military related government employment (Fort Lewis Army Base and McChord Air Force Base), transportation and shipping employment (Port of Tacoma), and aerospace related employment (Boeing). Based on information from the MLS, the median home sales price in Pierce County in December 2017 was $320,000, a 12.2% increase from December 2016's median home sales price of $285,000.

Snohomish County has the third largest population of any county in the state of Washington, covers approximately 2,100 square miles and is located on Puget Sound touching the northern border of King County. It had approximately 773,000 residents and a median household income of approximately $78,000 at December 31, 2016. The economy of Snohomish County is diversified with the presence of military related government employment (Everett Homeport Naval Base), aerospace related employment (Boeing) and retail trade. Based on information from the MLS, the median home sales price in Snohomish County as of December 31, 2017 was $450,000, a 12.5% increase from December 2016's median home sales price of $400,000.

Clallam County, with a population of approximately 73,000, is ranked the 18th largest county in the state of Washington. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Strait of Juan de Fuca and covers 1,700 square miles, including the westernmost portion of the continental United States. It had a median household income of approximately $48,000 at December 31, 2016. The economy of Clallam County is primarily manufacturing and shipping. The Sequim Dungeness Valley continues to be a growing retirement location. Our offices are in Port Angeles and Sequim, the two largest cities in the county. Based on information from the MLS, the median home sales price in Clallam County in December 2017 was $295,000, an 18.9% increase from 2016's median home sales price of $248,000.

Jefferson County, with a population of approximately 31,000, is the 27th largest county in the state of Washington. It is bordered by Clallam County and the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north and Hood Canal on the west and covers 2,200 square miles. The majority of the population lives in the northwestern portion of the county. Our office is located in Port Ludlow which is the third largest community in the county. The economy of Jefferson County is primarily based on tourism, agriculture, lumber, fish processing and ship repair and maintenance. Port Ludlow is a popular retirement community and is a popular port of call for leisure craft sailing between Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. It had a median household income of approximately $55,000 at December 31, 2016. Based on information from the MLS, the average home sales price in Jefferson County as of December 2017 was $362,000, a 22.7% increase from 2016's median home sales price of $296,000.

According to the latest available information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, King and Snohomish Counties reported an unemployment rate of 3.6% and 4.0%, respectively, as of December 2017, as compared to the state and national unemployment rates of 4.1% and 4.5%, respectively. The unemployment rates for Clallam, Pierce and Jefferson Counties were above the state and national rates as of December 2017. The unemployment rate in Clallam County decreased to 7.0% as of December 2017 from 8.1% as of December 2016, while the unemployment rate in Pierce County decreased to 5.4% as of December 2017 from 6.0% as of December 2016. The unemployment rate in Jefferson County decreased to 6.2% as of December 2017 from 7.4% as of December 2016.

Lending Activities

The following table presents information concerning the composition of our loan portfolio, excluding loans held-for-sale, by the type of loan for the dates indicated (dollars in thousands):

 The following table shows the composition of our loan portfolio in dollar amounts and in percentages by fixed and adjustable rate loans for the dates indicated (dollars in thousands):

The following table illustrates the contractual maturity of our construction and land and commercial business loans at December 31, 2017 (dollars in thousands). Loans that have adjustable or renegotiable interest rates are shown as maturing in the period during which the contract is due. The total amount of loans due after December 31, 2018, which have predetermined interest rates, is $26.8 million, while the total amount of loans due after such date, which have floating or adjustable interest rates, is $12.2 million. The table does not reflect the effects of possible prepayments or enforcement of due-on-sale clauses.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      

(1)	Includes demand loans, loans having no stated maturity and overdraft loans.

(2)	Excludes deferred fees of $435,000.

Lending Authority. Our President and Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") may approve unsecured loans up to $1.0 million and all types of secured loans up to 30% of our legal lending limit, or approximately $4.0 million as of December 31, 2017. Our Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer ("CCO") may approve unsecured loans up to $400,000 and secured loans up to 15% of our legal lending limit, or approximately $2.0 million as of December 31, 2017. Any loans over the CEO's lending authority or loans significantly outside our general underwriting guidelines must be approved by the Loan Committee consisting of four independent directors, the CEO and the CCO. Lending authority is also granted to certain other lending staff at lower amounts. The Business Banking Team Leader has lending authority of up to 7.5% of our legal lending limit for real estate and other secured loans, and $50,000 for unsecured loans. The Residential Lending Team Leader has lending authority up to 7.5% of our legal lending limit for real estate and other secured loans, and $5,000 for unsecured loans.

Largest Borrowing Relationships. At December 31, 2017, the maximum amount under federal law that we could lend to any one borrower and the borrower's related entities was approximately $13.5 million.  Our five largest relationships totaled $49.1 million in the aggregate, or 8.9% of our $550.5 million total loan portfolio, at December 31, 2017.  At December 31, 2017, the largest lending relationship totaled $11.5 million consisting of two loans to businesses with common ownership, collateralized by an assignment of promissory notes and two loans to a related individual collateralized by a primary residence.  The second and third largest relationships consisted of a $10.5 million business line of credit loan participation to a third party loan originator secured by an assignment of promissory notes from their borrowers for residential loans and a $10.0 million business line of credit loan participation to a third party loan originator secured by an assignment of promissory notes from their borrowers for construction projects.  The next two largest lending relationships at December 31, 2017, consisted of four loans totaling $9.3 million to businesses with common ownership collateralized by multifamily real estate and four loans totaling $7.8 million, consisting of a commercial business loan collateralized by multifamily real estate, a residential real estate loan and a line of credit to a related individual collateralized by one- to-four family real estate and an unsecured line of credit provided to the same individual.  At December 31, 2017, we had ten other lending relationships that exceeded $5.0 million. All of the foregoing loans were performing in accordance with their repayment terms as of December 31, 2017.

One- to Four-Family Real Estate Lending. One of our primary lending activities is the origination of loans secured by first mortgages on one- to four-family residences, substantially all of which are secured by property located in our geographic lending area. We originate both fixed-rate and adjustable-rate loans. During 2017, our fixed rate, one- to four-family loan originations decreased $64.2 million, or 46.6% to $73.6 million compared to $137.8 million in 2016.  In 2017, the Bank identified demand in the marketplace for one- to four-family, residential adjustable rate mortgages, especially jumbo loans (loans above conforming Fannie Mae limits).  As a result, our adjustable rate one- to four-family, residential loan originations increased $31.2 million, or 627.0% to $36.1 million compared to $5.0 million in 2016.  In 2017, the average loan amount was $657,000 for adjustable rate, one- to four-family mortgages.

Most of our loans are underwritten using generally-accepted secondary market underwriting guidelines.  A portion of the one- to four-family loans we originate are retained in our portfolio and the remaining loans are sold into the secondary market to Fannie Mae or other private investors.  Loans that are sold into the secondary market to Fannie Mae are sold with the servicing retained to maintain the client relationship and to generate noninterest income. We also originate a small portion of government guaranteed and jumbo loans over $424,100 for sale servicing released to certain correspondent purchasers. The sale of mortgage loans provides a source of non-interest income through the gain on sale, reduces our interest rate risk, provides a stream of servicing income, enhances liquidity and enables us to originate more loans at our current capital level than if we held the loans in our loan portfolio. Our pricing strategy for mortgage loans includes establishing interest rates that are competitive with other financial institutions and consistent with our internal asset and liability management objectives. During the year ended December 31, 2017, we originated $73.6 million of one- to four-family fixed-rate mortgage loans and $36.1 million one- to four-family adjustable rate mortgage ("ARM") loans. See "- Loan Originations, Purchases, Sales, Repayments and Servicing." At December 31, 2017, one- to four-family residential mortgage loans (excluding loans held-for-sale) totaled $157.4 million, or 28.6%, of our gross loan portfolio, of which $117.6 million were fixed-rate loans and $39.8 million were ARM loans, compared to $152.4 million (excluding loans held-for-sale), or 30.4% of our gross loan portfolio as of December 31, 2016, of which $142.5 million were fixed-rate loans and $9.8 million were ARM loans.

Substantially all of the one- to four-family residential mortgage loans we retain in our portfolio consist of loans that do not satisfy acreage limits, income, credit, conforming loan limits (i.e., jumbo mortgages) or various other requirements imposed by Fannie Mae. Some of these loans are also originated to meet the needs of borrowers who cannot otherwise satisfy Fannie Mae credit requirements because of personal and financial reasons (i.e., bankruptcy, length of time employed, etc.), and other aspects, which do not conform to Fannie Mae's guidelines. Such borrowers may have higher debt-to-income ratios, or the loans are secured by unique properties in rural markets for which there are no sales of comparable properties to support the value according to secondary market requirements. We may require additional collateral or lower loan-to-value ratios to reduce the risk of these loans. We believe that these loans satisfy the needs of borrowers in our market area. As a result, subject to market conditions, we intend to continue to originate these types of loans. We also retain jumbo loans which exceed the conforming loan limits and therefore, are not eligible to be purchased by Fannie Mae. At December 31, 2017, $95.1 million or 60.4% of our one- to four-family loan portfolio consisted of jumbo loans.

We generally underwrite our one- to four-family loans based on the applicant's employment and credit history and the appraised value of the subject property. We generally lend up to 80% of the lesser of the appraised value or purchase price for one- to four-family first mortgage loans and non-owner occupied first mortgage loans. For first mortgage loans with a loan-to-value ratio in excess of 80%, we may require private mortgage insurance or other credit enhancement to help mitigate the risk. Properties securing our one- to four-family loans are typically appraised by independent fee appraisers who are selected in accordance with criteria approved by the Loan Committee. For loans that are less than $250,000, we may use an automated valuation model, in lieu of an appraisal. We require title insurance policies on all first mortgage real estate loans originated. Homeowners, liability, fire and, if required, flood insurance policies are also required for one-to four-family loans. Our real estate loans generally contain a "due on sale" clause allowing us to declare the unpaid principal balance due and payable upon the sale of the security property. The average balance of our one- to four-family residential loans was approximately $291,000 at December 31, 2017.

Fixed-rate loans secured by one- to four-family residences have contractual maturities of up to 30 years.  All of these loans are fully amortizing, with payments due monthly. Our portfolio of fixed-rate loans also includes $9.2 million of loans with an initial seven year term and a 30-year amortization period with a borrower refinancing option at a fixed rate at the end of the initial term as long as the loan has met certain performance criteria. In addition, we had $34.3 million one- to four- family loans with a five-year call option at December 31, 2017. Prior to 2012, we originated for portfolio five and seven year balloon reset loans (which are loans that are originated with a fixed interest rate for the initial five or seven years, and thereafter incur one interest rate change based on current market interest rates in which the new rate remains in effect for the remainder of the loan term) based on a 30-year amortization period.

ARM loans are offered with annual adjustments and life-time rate caps that vary based on the product, generally with a maximum annual rate change of 2.0% and a maximum overall rate change of 6.0%. We generally use the rate on one-year Treasury Bills to re-price our ARM loans, however, $4.0 million of our ARM loans are to employees and directors that re-price annually based on a margin of 1% over our average 12 month cost of funds. As a consequence of using caps, the interest rates on ARM loans may not be as rate sensitive as our cost of funds. Furthermore, because loan indexes may not respond perfectly to changes in market interest rates, upward adjustments on loans may occur more slowly than increases in our cost of interest-bearing liabilities, especially during periods of rapidly increasing interest rates. Because of these characteristics, future yields on ARM loans may not be sufficient to offset increases in our cost of funds.

ARM loans generally pose different credit risks than fixed-rate loans, primarily because as interest rates rise, the borrower's payment increases, which increases the potential for default. The majority of these loans have been originated within the past several years, when rates were historically low.  We continue to offer our fully amortizing ARM loans with a fixed interest rate for the first one, three, five or seven years, followed by a periodic adjustable interest rate for the remaining term. Given the recent increase in market rates over the past year, the origination of ARM loans has increased significantly as borrowers are beginning to favor ARM loans over fixed-rate mortgages.

In 2016, in order to enable individuals to secure the purchase of a new residence before selling their existing residence, we commenced a loan program designed to allow borrowers to access the equity in their current residence to apply towards the purchase of a new residence. The loan or loans to purchase the new residence are generally originated in an amount in excess of $1.0 million and secured by the borrowers existing and/or new residences, with a maximum combined LTV of up to 80%. These loans provide for repayment upon the earlier of the sale of the current residence or the loan maturity date, which is typically up to 12 months. Upon the sale of the borrower's current residence, we may refinance the new residence using our traditional jumbo mortgage loan underwriting guidelines. During 2017, we originated $15.6 million of loans under this program compared to $20.9 million in 2016. At December 31, 2017, we had $15.6 million of these interest only residential loans in our one- to four-family residential mortgage loan portfolio.

The primary focus of our underwriting guidelines for interest only residential loans is on the value of the collateral rather than the ability of the borrower to repay the loan. As a result, this type of lending exposes us to an increased risk of loss due to the larger loan balance and our inability to sell them to Fannie Mae, similar to the risks associated with jumbo one- to four-family residential loans. In addition, a decline in residential real estate values resulting from a downturn in the Washington housing market may reduce the value of the real estate collateral securing these types of loans and increase our risk of loss if borrowers default on their loans.

Home Equity Lending. We originate home equity loans that consist of fixed-rate fully amortizing loans and variable-rate lines of credit. We typically originate home equity loans in amounts of up to 90% of the value of the collateral, minus any senior liens on the property; however, prior to 2010 we originated home equity loans in amounts of up to 100% of the value of the collateral, minus any senior liens on the property. Home equity lines of credit are typically originated for up to $250,000 with an adjustable rate of interest, based on the one-year Treasury Bill rate or the Wall Street Journal Prime rate, plus a margin. Home equity lines of credit generally have a three, five or 12 year draw period, during which time the funds may be paid down and redrawn up to the committed amount. Once the draw period has lapsed, the payment is amortized over either a 12, 19 or 21 year period based on the loan balance at that time. We charge a $50 annual fee on each home equity line of credit and require monthly interest-only payments on the entire amount drawn during the draw period. At December 31, 2017, home equity loans totaled $28.4 million, or 5.2% of our total loan portfolio compared to $27.8 million, or 5.5% of our total loan portfolio at December 31, 2016. Variable-rate home equity lines of credit at December 31, 2017 totaled $17.0 million, or 3.1% of our total loan portfolio, compared to $18.7 million, or 3.7% of our total loan portfolio as of December 31, 2016. At December 31, 2017, unfunded commitments on home equity lines of credit totaled $12.0 million.

Our fixed-rate home equity loans are generally originated in amounts, together with the amount of the existing first mortgage, of up to 90% of the appraised value of the subject property. These loans may have terms of up to 15 years and are fully amortizing. At December 31, 2017, fixed-rate home equity loans totaled $11.4 million, or 2.1% of our gross loan portfolio, compared to $9.1 million, or 1.8% of our total loan portfolio as of December 31, 2016.

Commercial and Multifamily Real Estate Lending. We offer a variety of commercial and multifamily real estate loans. Most of these loans are secured by owner-occupied and non-owner-occupied commercial income producing properties, multifamily apartment buildings, warehouses, office buildings, gas station/convenience stores and mobile home parks located in our market area. At December 31, 2017, commercial and multifamily real estate loans totaled $211.3 million, or 38.4% of our total loan portfolio, compared to $181.0 million, or 36.1% of our total loan portfolio as of December 31, 2016.

Loans secured by commercial and multifamily real estate are generally originated with a variable interest rate, fixed for a three to ten-year term and a 20- to 25-year amortization period. At the end of the initial term, the balance is due in full or the loan re-prices based on an independent index plus a margin of 1% to 4% for another five years. Loan-to-value ratios on our commercial and multifamily real estate loans typically do not exceed 80% of the lower of cost or appraised value of the property securing the loan at origination.

Loans secured by commercial and multifamily real estate are generally underwritten based on the net operating income of the property, quality and location of the real estate, the credit history and financial strength of the borrower and the quality of management involved with the property. The net operating income, which is the income derived from the operation of the property less all operating expenses, must be sufficient to cover the payments related to the outstanding debt plus an additional coverage requirement. We generally impose a minimum debt service coverage ratio of 1.20 for originated loans secured by income producing commercial properties. If the borrower is other than an individual, we typically require the personal guaranty of the principal owners of the borrowing entity. We also generally require an assignment of rents in order to be assured that the cash flow from the project will be used to repay the debt. Appraisals on properties securing commercial and multifamily real estate loans are performed by independent state certified licensed fee appraisers. In order to monitor the adequacy of cash flows on income-producing properties, the borrower is required to provide annual financial information. From time to time we also acquire participation interests in commercial and multifamily real estate loans originated by other financial institutions secured by properties located in our market area.

Historically, loans secured by commercial and multifamily properties generally involve different credit risks than one- to four-family properties. These loans typically involve larger balances to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers. Because payments on loans secured by commercial and multifamily properties are often dependent on the successful operation or management of the properties, repayment of these loans may be subject to adverse conditions in the real estate market or the economy. If the cash flow from the project is reduced, or if leases are not obtained or renewed, the borrower's ability to repay the loan may be impaired. Commercial and multifamily real estate loans also expose a lender to greater credit risk than loans secured by one-to four-family because the collateral securing these loans typically cannot be sold as easily as one-to four-family. In addition, most of our commercial and multifamily real estate loans are not fully amortizing and include balloon payments upon maturity. Balloon payments may require the borrower to either sell or refinance the underlying property in order to make the payment, which may increase the risk of default or non-payment. The largest single commercial and multifamily real estate loan at December 31, 2017, totaled $5.7 million and is collateralized by an office building. At December 31, 2017, this loan was performing in accordance with its repayment terms.

The following table provides information on commercial and multifamily real estate loans by type at December 31, 2017 and 2016 (dollars in thousands):

                                                                                                                                                                                                      

(1)	Other commercial real estate loans includes schools, churches, storage facilities, restaurants, etc.

Construction and Land Lending. We originate construction loans secured by single-family residences and commercial and multifamily real estate. We also originate land acquisition and development loans, which are secured by raw land or developed lots on which the borrower intends to build a residence. At December 31, 2017, our construction and land loans totaled $61.5 million, or 11.2% of our total loan portfolio, compared to $70.9 million, or 14.1% of our total loan portfolio at December 31, 2016. At December 31, 2017, unfunded construction loan commitments totaled $39.4 million.

Construction loans to individuals and contractors for the construction of personal residences, including speculative residential construction, totaled $32.3 million, or 52.6%, of our construction and land portfolio at December 31, 2017. In addition to custom home construction loans to individuals, we originate loans that are termed "speculative" which are those loans where the builder does not have, at the time of loan origination, a signed contract with a buyer for the home or lot who has a commitment for permanent financing with either us or another lender. At December 31, 2017, construction loans to contractors for homes that were considered speculative totaled $26.4 million, or 42.9%, of our construction and land portfolio.

The composition of, and location of underlying collateral securing, our construction and land loan portfolio, excluding loan commitments, at December 31, 2017 was as follows (in thousands):

Our residential construction loans generally provide for the payment of interest only during the construction phase, which is typically twelve to eighteen months. At the end of the construction phase, the construction loan generally either converts to a longer term mortgage loan or is paid off with a permanent loan from another lender. Residential construction loans are made up to the lesser of a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 100% of cost or 80% of appraised value at completion; however, we generally do not originate construction loans which exceed these limits without some form of credit enhancement to mitigate the higher loan to value.

At December 31, 2017, our largest residential construction loan commitment was for $3.2 million, $1.8 million of which had been disbursed. This loan was performing according to its repayment terms at December 31, 2017. The average outstanding residential construction loan balance was approximately $539,000 at December 31, 2017. Before making a commitment to fund a construction loan, we require an appraisal of the subject property by an independent approved appraiser. During the construction phase, we make periodic inspections of the construction site and loan proceeds are disbursed directly to the contractors or borrowers as construction progresses. Loan proceeds are disbursed after inspection based on the percentage of completion method. We also require general liability, builder's risk hazard insurance, title insurance, and flood insurance, for properties located in or to be built in a designated flood hazard area, on all construction loans.

We also originate developed lot and raw land loans to individuals intending to construct a residence in the future on the property. We will generally originate these loans in an amount up to 75% of the lower of the purchase price or appraisal. These lot and land loans are secured by a first lien on the property and have a fixed rate of interest with a maximum amortization of 20 years.

We make land acquisition and development loans to experienced builders or residential lot developers in our market area. The maximum loan-to-value limit applicable to these loans is generally 75% of the appraised market value upon completion of the project. We may not require cash equity from the borrower if there is sufficient equity in the land being used as collateral. Development plans are required prior to making the loan. Our loan officers visit the proposed site of the development and the sites of competing developments. We require that developers maintain adequate insurance coverage. Land acquisition and development loans generally are originated with a loan term up to 24 months, have adjustable rates of interest based on the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate or the three or five- year rate charged by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines ("FHLB") and require interest only payment during the term of the loan. Land acquisition and development loan proceeds are disbursed periodically in increments as construction progresses and as an inspection by our approved inspector warrants. We also require these loans to be paid on an accelerated basis as the lots are sold, so that we are repaid before all the lots are sold. At December 31, 2017, land acquisition and development and lot loans totaled $240,000, or 0.4% of our construction and land portfolio all of which were lot loans.

We also offer commercial and multifamily construction loans. These loans are underwritten as interest only with financing typically up to 24 months under terms similar to our residential construction loans. Commercial and multifamily construction loans are made up to the lesser of a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 100% of cost or 80% of appraised value at completion. Most of our commercial and multifamily construction loans provide for disbursement of loan funds during the construction period and conversion to a permanent loan when the construction is complete, and either tenant lease-up provisions or prescribed debt service coverage ratios are met. At December 31, 2017, commercial and multifamily construction loans totaled $19.5 million, or 31.8% of our construction and land portfolio, compared to $30.0 million, or 42.3% of our construction and land portfolio at December 31, 2016. The three largest commercial and multifamily construction loans at December 31, 2017 included a $6.7 million multifamily residential building, a $4.8 million multifamily residential building and a $1.8 million residential development project, all located in Seattle, Washington.

Our construction and land development loans are based upon estimates of costs in relation to values associated with the completed project. Construction and land development lending involves additional risks when compared with permanent residential lending because funds are advanced upon the collateral for the project based on an estimate of costs that will produce a future value at completion. Because of the uncertainties inherent in estimating construction costs, as well as the market value of the completed project and the effects of governmental regulation on real property, it is relatively difficult to evaluate accurately the total funds required to complete a project and the completed project loan-to-value ratio. Changes in the demand, such as for new housing and higher than anticipated building costs may cause actual results to vary significantly from those estimated. For these reasons, this type of lending also typically involves higher loan principal amounts and is often concentrated with a small number of builders. These loans often involve the disbursement of funds with repayment substantially dependent on the success of the ultimate project and the ability of the borrower to sell or lease the property or obtain permanent take-out financing, rather than the ability of the borrower or guarantor to repay principal and interest. If our appraisal of the value of a completed project proves to be overstated, we may have inadequate security for the repayment of the loan upon completion of construction of the project and may incur a loss. Because construction loans require active monitoring of the building process, including cost comparisons and on-site inspections, these loans are more difficult and costly to monitor. Increases in market rates of interest may have a more pronounced effect on construction loans by rapidly increasing the end-purchasers' borrowing costs, thereby reducing the overall demand for the project. In addition, during the term of some of our construction loans, an interest reserve is created at origination and is added to the principal of the loan through the construction phase. Properties under construction may be difficult to sell and typically must be completed in order to be successfully sold which also complicates the process of resolving problem construction loans. This may require us to advance additional funds and/or contract with another builder to complete construction. Furthermore, in the case of speculative construction loans, there is the added risk associated with identifying an end-purchaser for the finished project. Land loans also pose additional risk because of the lack of income being produced by the property and the potential illiquid nature of the collateral. These risks can also be significantly impacted by supply and demand conditions.

Commercial Business Lending. At December 31, 2017, commercial business loans totaled $40.8 million, or 7.4% of our total loan portfolio, compared to $26.3 million, or 5.3% of our total loan portfolio at December 31, 2016. Substantially all of our commercial business loans have been to borrowers in our market area. Our commercial business lending activities encompass loans with a variety of purposes and security, including loans to finance commercial vehicles and equipment and loans secured by accounts receivable and/or inventory. Approximately $1.6 million of our commercial business loans at December 31, 2017 were unsecured. Our commercial business lending policy includes an analysis of the borrower's background, capacity to repay the loan, the adequacy of the borrower's capital and collateral, as well as an evaluation of other conditions affecting the borrower. Analysis of the borrower's past, present and future cash flows is also an important aspect of our credit analysis. We generally require personal guarantees on both our secured and unsecured commercial business loans. Nonetheless, commercial business loans are believed to carry higher credit risk than residential mortgage and commercial real estate loans.

Our interest rates on commercial business loans are dependent on the type of loan. Our secured commercial business loans typically have a loan to value ratio of up to 80% and are term loans ranging from three to seven years. Secured commercial business term loans generally have a fixed rated based on the commensurate FHLB amortizing rate or prime rate as reported in the West Coast edition of the Wall Street Journal plus 1% to 3%. In addition, we typically charge loan fees of 1% to 2% of the principal amount at origination, depending on the credit quality and account relationships of the borrower. Business lines of credit are usually adjustable-rate and are based on the prime rate plus 1% to 3%, and are generally originated with both a floor and ceiling to the interest rate. Our business lines of credit generally have terms ranging from 12 months to 24 months and provide for interest-only monthly payments during the term.

Our commercial business loans are primarily based on the cash flow of the borrower and secondarily on the underlying collateral provided by the borrower. The borrowers' cash flow may be unpredictable, and collateral securing these loans may fluctuate in value. This collateral may consist of accounts receivable, inventory, equipment or real estate. In the case of loans secured by accounts receivable, the availability of funds for the repayment of these loans may be substantially dependent on the ability of the borrower to collect amounts due from its customers. Other collateral securing loans may depreciate over time, may be difficult to appraise, may be illiquid and may fluctuate in value based on the specific type of business and equipment. As a result, the availability of funds for the repayment of commercial business loans may be substantially dependent on the success of the business itself which, in turn, is often dependent in part upon general economic conditions.

Consumer Lending. We offer a variety of secured and unsecured consumer loans, including new and used manufactured homes, floating homes, automobiles, boats and recreational vehicle loans, and loans secured by deposit accounts. We also offer unsecured consumer loans. We originate our consumer loans primarily in our market area. All of our consumer loans are originated on a direct basis. At December 31, 2017, our consumer loans totaled $51.1 million, or 9.3% of our total loan portfolio, compared to $43.4 million, or 8.7% of our total loan portfolio at December 31, 2016.

We typically originate new and used manufactured home loans to borrowers who intend to use the home as a primary residence. The yields on these loans are higher than that on our other residential lending products and the portfolio has performed reasonably well with an acceptable level of risk and loss in exchange for the higher yield. Our weighted-average yield on manufactured home loans at December 31, 2017 was 8.11%, compared to 4.61% for one- to four-family mortgages, excluding loans held-for-sale. At December 31, 2017, these loans totaled $17.1 million, or 33.5% of our consumer loans and 3.1% of our total loan portfolio. For used manufactured homes, loans are generally made up to 90% of the lesser of the appraised value or purchase price up to $200,000, and with terms typically up to 20 years. On new manufactured homes, loans are generally made up to 90% of the lesser of the appraised value or purchase price up to $200,000, and with terms typically up to 20 years. We generally charge a 1% fee at origination. We underwrite these loans based on our review of creditworthiness of the borrower, including credit scores, and the value of the collateral, for which we hold a security interest under Washington law.

Manufactured home loans are higher risk than loans secured by residential real property, though this risk is reduced if the owner also owns the land on which the home is located. A small portion of our manufactured home loans involve properties on which we also have financed the land for the owner. The primary risk in manufactured home loans is the difficulty in obtaining adequate value for the collateral due to the cost and limited ability to move the collateral. These loans tend to be made to retired individuals and first-time homebuyers. First-time homebuyers of manufactured homes tend to be a higher credit risk than first-time homebuyers of single-family residences, due to more limited financial resources. As a result, these loans may have a higher probability of default and higher delinquency rates than single-family residential loans and other types of consumer loans. We take into account this additional risk as a component of our allowance for loan losses. We attempt to work out delinquent loans with the borrower and, if that is not successful, any past due manufactured homes are repossessed and sold. At December 31, 2017, there were eight nonperforming manufactured home loans totaling $206,000 and we held one manufactured home valued at $10,000 as a repossessed asset.

We originate floating home, houseboat and house barge loans typically located on cooperative or condominium moorages. Terms vary from five to 20 years and have a fixed rate of interest. We lend up to 90% of the lesser of the appraised value or purchase price. The primary risk in floating home loans is the unique nature of the collateral and the challenges of relocating such collateral to a location other than where such housing is permitted. The process for securing the deed and/or the condominium or cooperative dock is also unique compared to other types of lending we participate in. As a result, these loans may have higher collateral recovery costs than for one- to four-family mortgage loans and other types of consumer loans. We take into account these additional risks as a part of our underwriting criteria. At December 31, 2017, floating home loans totaled $29.1 million, or 56.9% of our consumer loan portfolio and 5.3% of our total loan portfolio.

The balance of our consumer loans include loans secured by new and used automobiles, new and used boats, motorcycles and recreational vehicles, loans secured by deposits and unsecured consumer loans, all of which, at December 31, 2017, totaled $4.9 million, or 9.6% of our consumer loan portfolio and 0.9% of our total loan portfolio. Our automobile loan portfolio totaled $570,000 at December 31, 2017, or 1.1% of our consumer loan portfolio and 0.1% of our total loan portfolio. Automobile loans may be written for a term up to 72 months and have fixed rates of interest. Loan-to-value ratios are up to 100% of the lesser of the purchase price or the National Automobile Dealers Association value for used automobiles, including tax, licenses, title and mechanical breakdown and gap insurance.

Loans secured by boats, motorcycles and recreational vehicles typically have terms from five to 20 years depending on the collateral and loan-to-value ratios up to 90%. These loans may be made with fixed or adjustable interest rates. Our unsecured consumer loans have either a fixed rate of interest generally for a maximum term of 48 months, or are revolving lines of credit of generally up to $25,000. At December 31, 2017, unsecured consumer loans totaled $1.1 million and unfunded commitments on our unsecured consumer lines of credit totaled $1.0 million. At that date, the average outstanding balance on these lines was less than $1,000.

Consumer loans (other than our manufactured and floating homes) generally have shorter terms to maturity, which reduces our exposure to changes in interest rates. In addition, management believes that offering consumer loan products helps to expand and create stronger ties to our existing client base by increasing the number of client relationships and providing additional marketing opportunities.

Consumer loans generally entail greater risk than do one- to four-family residential mortgage loans, particularly in the case of consumer loans that are secured by rapidly depreciable assets, such as manufactured homes, automobiles, boats and recreational vehicles. In these cases, any repossessed collateral for a defaulted loan may not provide an adequate source of repayment of the outstanding loan balance. As a result, consumer loan collections are dependent on the borrower's continuing financial stability and, thus, are more likely to be adversely affected by job loss, divorce, illness or personal bankruptcy.

Loan Originations, Purchases, Sales, Repayments and Servicing

We originate both fixed-rate and adjustable-rate loans. Our ability to originate loans, however, is dependent upon client demand for loans in our market area. Over the past several years, we have continued to originate residential and consumer loans, and increased our emphasis on commercial and multifamily real estate, construction and land, and commercial business lending. Demand is affected by competition and the interest rate environment. During the past few years, we, like many other financial institutions, have experienced significant prepayments on loans due to the prevailing low interest rate environment in the United States. In periods of economic uncertainty, the ability of financial institutions, including us, to originate large dollar volumes of real estate loans may be substantially reduced or restricted, with a resultant decrease in interest income. If a proposed loan exceeds our internal lending limits, we may originate the loan on a participation basis with another financial institution. From time to time, we also participate with other financial institutions on loans they originate. In 2017, 2016 and 2015, we sold commercial loan participations to other financial institutions in the amount of $3.1 million, $3.0 million and $6.9 million, respectively. We underwrite loan purchases and participations to the same standards as an internally-originated loan. We purchased two commercial business loan participations from other financial institutions in 2017 totaling $15.5 million as compared to $2.7 million in 2016.

We do not engage in originating negative amortization, option adjustable rate or subprime loans and have no established program to originate or purchase these loans. We do offer interest-only one- to four- family loans to well-qualified borrowers and at December 31, 2017, we held $16.9 million of such loans in our loan portfolio, representing 3.1% of our total loan portfolio. Subprime loans are defined as loans that at the time of loan origination had a FICO credit score of less than 660. Of the $109.7 million in one- to four- family loans originated in 2017, only $4.9 million, or 4.5%, were to borrowers with a credit score under 660.

In addition to interest earned on loans and loan origination fees, we receive fees for loan commitments, late payments and other miscellaneous services.

We also sell whole one-to four-family loans without recourse to Fannie Mae, subject to a provision for repurchase upon breach of representation, warranty or covenant. These loans are fixed-rate mortgages, which primarily are sold to reduce our interest rate risk and generate noninterest income. These loans are generally sold for cash in amounts equal to the unpaid principal amount of the loans determined using present value yields to the buyer. These sales allow for a servicing fee on loans when the servicing is retained by us. Most one- to four-family loans are sold with servicing retained. At December 31, 2017, we were servicing a $392.6 million portfolio of residential mortgage loans for Fannie Mae. We repurchased one loan from Fannie Mae in 2017 totaling $135,000.  We did not repurchase any loans from Fannie Mae in 2016.

We earned mortgage servicing income of $566,000, $907,000 and $1.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. In November 2009, we acquired a $340.1 million loan servicing portfolio from Leader Financial Services. These loans are 100% owned by Fannie Mae and are subserviced under an agreement with a third party loan servicer who performs all servicing including payment processing, reporting and collections. In October 2015, we acquired a $45.9 million loans servicing portfolio from Seattle Bank. These loans are 100% owned by Fannie Mae and are serviced by us. These mortgage servicing rights are carried at fair value and had a value at December 31, 2017 of $3.4 million. See Note 6 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Item 8 of this report on Form 10-K.

Sales of whole real estate loans are beneficial to us since these sales may generate income at the time of sale, produce future servicing income on loans where servicing is retained, provide funds for additional lending, and increase liquidity. We sold $52.0 million, $85.1 million and $72.6 million of conforming one- to four- family loans during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Gains, losses and transfer fees on sales of one-to four-family loans and participations are recognized at the time of the sale. Our net gain on sales of residential loans for all of 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $1.1 million, $1.4 million and $1.3 million, respectively. In addition to loans sold to Fannie Mae on a servicing retained basis, we also sell nonconforming residential loans to correspondent banks on a servicing released basis. In 2017, we sold $4.3 million of loans servicing released.

The following table shows our loan origination, sale and repayment activities, including loans held-for-sale, for the periods indicated (in thousands):

The increase in originations in 2017 compared to 2016 was primarily due to the relatively strong economy in our market area and increased sales efforts by our loan officers.  One- to four-family fixed rate, residential loan originations decreased as compared to prior years while one- to four-family adjustable rate, residential loan originations increased significantly compared to prior years.  During 2017, the Bank identified demand in the marketplace for one- to-four family adjustable rate, residential mortgages, especially those above the Fannie Mae conforming limits.  Commercial business loan originations increased significantly in 2017 as compared to 2016 as a result of our emphasis on this business segment and the continued demand in our local market.  Demand for construction loans for new homes and apartments continued to be strong as our markets experienced appreciation in residential market prices and a declining supply of homes for sale because of strong demand.  Increased commercial and multifamily construction loan originations in 2017 compared to 2016 were due to an emphasis on producing these types of loans in our markets.

Asset Quality

When a borrower fails to make a required payment on a one-to four-family loan, we attempt to cure the delinquency by contacting the borrower. In the case of loans secured by a one-to four-family property, a late notice typically is sent 15 days after the due date. Generally, a pre-foreclosure loss mitigation letter is also mailed to the borrower 30 days after the due date. All delinquent accounts are reviewed by a loan officer or branch manager who attempts to cure the delinquency by contacting the borrower. If the account becomes 120 days delinquent and an acceptable foreclosure alternative has not been agreed upon, we generally refer the account to legal counsel with instructions to prepare a notice of default. The notice of default begins the foreclosure process. If foreclosure is completed, typically we take title to the property and sell it directly through a real estate broker.

Delinquent consumer loans are handled in a similar manner to one-to four-family loans. Our procedures for repossession and sale of consumer collateral are subject to various requirements under the applicable consumer protection laws as well as other applicable laws and the determination by us that it would be beneficial from a cost basis.

Once a loan is 90 days past due, it is classified as nonaccrual. Generally, delinquent consumer loans are charged-off at 120 days past due, unless we have a reasonable basis justifying continuing collection efforts.

Delinquent Loans. The following table sets forth our loan delinquencies by type, by amount and by percentage of type at December 31, 2017 (dollars in thousands):

Nonperforming Assets. The table below sets forth the amounts and categories of nonperforming assets in our loan portfolio (in thousands). Loans are placed on nonaccrual status when the collection of principal and/or interest become doubtful or when the loan is more than 90 days past due. OREO and repossessed assets include assets acquired in settlement of loans.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      

(1)	Nonperforming loans include $445,000, $683,000, $971,000, $2.3 million and $1.0 million in nonperforming troubled debt restructurings as of December 31, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.  We had no accruing loan 90 days or more delinquent for the periods reported.

Nonperforming loans decreased $1.1 million to $2.3 million at December 31, 2017 from $3.3 million at December 31, 2016 due primarily to a $1.4 million decrease in the one-to-four- family loan category.  Our largest nonperforming loan at December 31, 2017 was a $201,000 owner-occupied commercial real estate loan.  Nonperforming one- to four- family loans at December 31, 2017 consisted of eight loans to different borrowers with an average loan balance of $105,000. There were nine home equity loans, eight manufactured home loans, three commercial business loans, two construction and land loans, one commercial real estate loan, and one consumer loan classified as nonperforming at December 31, 2017.

For the year ended December 31, 2017, gross interest income that would have been recorded had the nonaccrual loans been current in accordance with their original terms amounted to $33,000, all of which was excluded from interest income for the year ended December 31, 2017.  See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Financial Condition at December 31, 2017 Compared to December 31, 2016 -- Delinquencies and Nonperforming Assets" contained in Item 7 of this report on Form 10-K for more information on troubled assets.

Troubled Debt Restructured Loans.  Troubled debt restructurings ("TDRs"), which are accounted for under Accounting Codification Standard ("ASC") 310-40, are loans which have renegotiated loan terms to assist borrowers who are unable to meet the original terms of their loans.  Such modifications to loan terms may include a lower interest rate, a reduction in principal, or a longer term to maturity.  All TDRs are initially classified as impaired regardless of whether the loan was performing at the time it was restructured.  Once a troubled debt restructuring has performed according to its modified terms for six months and the collection of principal and interest under the revised terms is deemed probable, we remove the TDR from nonperforming status.  At December 31, 2017, we had $3.3 million of loans that were classified as performing TDRs and still on accrual.  Included in nonperforming loans at December 31, 2017 and 2016 were troubled debt restructured loans of $445,000 and $683,000, respectively.

OREO and Repossessed Assets.  OREO and repossessed assets include assets acquired in settlement of loans.  At December 31, 2017, OREO and repossessed assets totaled $610,000. Our OREO at December 31, 2017, consisted of a former bank branch property located in Port Angeles, Washington which was acquired in 2015 as a part of three branches purchased from another financial institution with a balance of $600,000 and a manufactured home located in Seattle, Washington, with a balance of $10,000.  The former bank branch property originally was classified as a fixed asset and was subsequently reclassified to OREO in 2016.  It is currently leased to a local not-for-profit organization at a below market rate.

Other Loans of Concern.   In addition to the nonperforming assets set forth in the table above, as of December 31, 2017, there were 34 loans totaling $5.2 million with respect to which known information about the possible credit problems of the borrowers have caused management to have doubts as to the ability of the borrowers to comply with present loan repayment terms and which may result in the future inclusion of such items in the nonperforming asset categories.  The largest loans of concern at December 31, 2017, were a $1.4 million loan secured by one- to four-family residential real estate located in King County, Washington, and a $751,000 loan secured by an owner-occupied office building in King County, Washington. Additional other loans of concern included, $746,000 of commercial and multifamily real estate loans, $784,000 in commercial business loans, $1.4 million in residential mortgages, and $186,000 in consumer loans.

Classified Assets.  Federal regulations provide for the classification of lower quality loans and other assets (such as OREO and repossessed assets), debt and equity securities considered, as "substandard," "doubtful" or "loss."  An asset is considered "substandard" if it is inadequately protected by the current net worth and paying capacity of the obligor or of the collateral pledged, if any.  "Substandard" assets include those characterized by the "distinct possibility" that the insured institution will sustain "some loss" if the deficiencies are not corrected.  Assets classified as "doubtful" have all of the weaknesses in those classified "substandard," with the added characteristic that the weaknesses present make "collection or liquidation in full," on the basis of currently existing facts, conditions and values, "highly questionable and improbable."  Assets classified as "loss" are those considered "uncollectible" and of such little value that their continuance as assets without the establishment of a specific loss reserve is not warranted.

When we classify problem assets as either substandard or doubtful, we may establish a specific allowance in an amount we deem prudent to address specific impairments.  General allowances represent loss allowances which have been established to recognize the inherent risk associated with lending activities, but which, unlike specific allowances, have not been specifically allocated to particular problem assets.  When an insured institution classifies problem assets as a loss, it is required to charge off those assets in the period in which they are deemed uncollectible.  Our determination as to the classification of our assets and the amount of our valuation allowances is subject to review by the FDIC and, since our conversion to a Washington chartered commercial bank, the WDFI, which can order the establishment of additional loss allowances.  Assets which do not currently expose us to sufficient risk to warrant classification in one of the aforementioned categories but possess weaknesses are required to be designated as special mention. At December 31, 2017, special mention assets totaled $1.3 million.

We regularly review the problem assets in our portfolio to determine whether any assets require classification in accordance with applicable regulations.  On the basis of management's review of our assets, at December 31, 2017, we had classified $6.8 million of our assets as substandard, of which $6.2 million represented a variety of outstanding loans and $610,000 represented the balance of our OREO and repossessed assets.  At that date, we had no assets classified as doubtful or loss.  This total amount of classified assets represented 10.4% of our equity capital and 1.1% of our assets at December 31, 2017.  Classified assets totaled $6.6 million, or 11.0% of our equity capital and 1.1% of our assets at December 31, 2016.

Allowance for Loan Losses.  We maintain an allowance for loan losses to absorb probable loan losses in the loan portfolio.  The allowance is based on ongoing, monthly assessments of the estimated probable incurred losses in the loan portfolio.  In evaluating the level of the allowance for loan losses, management considers the types of loans and the amount of loans in the loan portfolio, peer group information, historical loss experience, adverse situations that may affect the borrower's ability to repay, estimated value of any underlying collateral, and prevailing economic conditions.  Large groups of smaller balance homogeneous loans, such as one-to four-family, small commercial and multifamily real estate, home equity and consumer loans, including floating homes and manufactured homes, are evaluated in the aggregate using historical loss factors and peer group data adjusted for current economic conditions.  More complex loans, such as commercial and multifamily real estate loans and commercial business loans are evaluated individually for impairment, primarily through the evaluation of the borrower's net operating income and available cash flow and their possible impact on collateral values.

At December 31, 2017, our allowance for loan losses was $5.2 million, or 0.96% of our total loan portfolio, compared to $4.8 million, or 0.96% of our total loan portfolio in 2016.  Specific valuation reserves totaled $896,000 and $863,000 at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Assessing the allowance for loan losses is inherently subjective as it requires making material estimates, including the amount and timing of future cash flows expected to be received on impaired loans that may be susceptible to significant change.  In the opinion of management, the allowance, when taken as a whole, properly reflects estimated probable loan losses inherent in our loan portfolio.  See Notes 1 and 5 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Item 8 of this report on Form 10-K.  The following table sets forth an analysis of our allowance for loan losses at the dates indicated (dollars in thousands):

Economic conditions have been favorable in our market areas. Housing prices have experienced double-digit growth throughout 2017, with historically low inventory levels. Unemployment rates in many of our market areas remain low as the job market is competitive. The increase in our allowance for loan losses as a percentage of nonperforming loans during 2017 was a result of a decrease in nonperforming loans during the last year due primarily to the reduction of $1.4 million in nonperforming one-to-four- family loans during the year. The allowance for loan losses as a percentage of nonperforming loans was 229.57% and 143.98% as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.  The unallocated portion of our allowance for loan losses has increased over the past few years as we have experienced a decrease in the amount of loan losses, charge-offs, and impaired loans relative to prior periods.

The distribution of our allowance for losses on loans at the dates indicated is summarized as follows (dollars in thousands):

Investment Activities

State chartered commercial banks have the authority to invest in various types of liquid assets, including United States Treasury obligations, securities of various federal agencies, including callable agency securities, certain certificates of deposit of insured commercial banks and savings banks, certain bankers' acceptances, repurchase agreements and federal funds.  Subject to various restrictions, state commercial banks may also invest their assets in investment grade commercial paper and corporate debt securities and mutual funds whose assets conform to the investments that the institution is otherwise authorized to make directly.  See "- How We Are Regulated – Sound Community Bank" for a discussion of additional restrictions on our investment activities.

Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have the responsibility for the management of our investment portfolio, subject to the direction and guidance of the Board of Directors.  These officers consider various factors when making decisions, including the marketability, maturity and tax consequences of the proposed investment.  The maturity structure of investments will be affected by various market conditions, including the current and anticipated slope of the yield curve, the level of interest rates, the trend of new deposit inflows, and the anticipated demand for funds via deposit withdrawals and loan originations and purchases.

The general objectives of our investment portfolio are to provide liquidity when loan demand is high, to assist in maintaining earnings when loan demand is low and to maximize earnings while satisfactorily managing risk, including credit risk, reinvestment risk, liquidity risk and interest rate risk.  Our investment quality emphasizes safer investments with the yield on those investments secondary to not taking unnecessary risk with the available funds.  See "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" for additional information about our interest rate risk management contained in Item 7A. of this report on Form 10-K.

At December 31, 2017, we owned $3.1 million of stock issued by the FHLB.  As a condition of membership in the FHLB, we are required to purchase and hold a certain amount of FHLB stock.

The following table sets forth the composition of our securities portfolio and other investments at the dates indicated.  At December 31, 2017, our securities portfolio did not contain securities of any issuer with an aggregate book value in excess of 10% of our equity capital. See Note 4 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Item 8 of this report on Form 10-K.

We review investment securities on an ongoing basis for the presence of other-than-temporary impairment ("OTTI") taking into consideration current market conditions, fair value in relationship to cost, extent and nature of the change in fair value, issuer rating changes and trends, whether we intend to sell a security or if it is likely that we will be required to sell the security before recovery of our amortized cost basis of the investment, which may be maturity, and other factors.  For debt securities, if we intend to sell the security or it is likely that we will be required to sell the security before recovering its cost basis, the entire impairment loss would be recognized in earnings as an OTTI.  If we do not intend to sell the security and it is not more likely than not that we will be required to sell the security but we do not expect to recover the entire amortized cost basis of the security, only the portion of the impairment loss representing credit losses would be recognized in earnings.  The credit loss on a security is measured as the difference between the amortized cost basis and the present value of the cash flows expected to be collected.

Projected cash flows are discounted by the original or current effective interest rate depending on the nature of the security being measured for potential OTTI.  The remaining impairment related to all other factors, the difference between the present value of the cash flows expected to be collected and the fair value, is recognized as a charge to other comprehensive income.  Impairment losses related to all other factors are presented as separate categories within other comprehensive income.

During the year ended December 31, 2017, we did not recognize any non-cash OTTI charges on our investment securities. Three agency securities had unrealized losses although management determined the decline in value was not related to specific credit deterioration. We do not intend to sell these securities and it is more likely than not that we will not be required to sell either security before anticipated recovery of the remaining amortized cost basis.  We closely monitor our investment securities for changes in credit risk.  The current market environment significantly limits our ability to mitigate our exposure to valuation changes in these securities by selling them.  If market conditions deteriorate and we determine our holdings of these or other investment securities are OTTI, our future earnings, shareholders' equity, regulatory capital and continuing operations could be materially adversely affected.

Sources of Funds

General.  Our sources of funds are primarily deposits (including deposits from public entities), borrowings, payments of principal and interest on loans and investments and funds provided from operations.

Deposits.  We offer a variety of deposit accounts to both consumers and businesses having a wide range of interest rates and terms.  Our deposits consist of savings accounts, money market deposit accounts, NOW accounts, demand accounts and certificates of deposit.  We solicit deposits primarily in our market area; however, at December 31, 2017, approximately 3.0% of our deposits were from persons outside the State of Washington.  As of December 31, 2017, core deposits, which we define as our non-time deposit accounts and time deposit accounts less than $250,000, represented approximately 90.8% of total deposits, compared to 88.0% and 85.7% as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively.  We primarily rely on competitive pricing policies, marketing and client service to attract and retain these deposits and we expect to continue these practices in the future.

The flow of deposits is influenced significantly by general economic conditions, changes in money market and prevailing interest rates and competition.  The variety of deposit accounts we offer has allowed us to be competitive in obtaining funds and to respond with flexibility to changes in consumer demand.  We are more susceptible to short-term fluctuations in deposit flows as clients are more interest rate sensitive.  We manage the pricing of our deposits in keeping with our asset/liability management, liquidity and profitability objectives, subject to competitive factors.  Based on our experience, we believe that our deposits are relatively stable sources of funds.  Despite this stability, our ability to attract and maintain these deposits and the rates paid on them is and will continue to be significantly affected by market conditions.

The following table sets forth our deposit flows during the periods indicated (dollars in thousands):