Alliance Bank vs Farmers & Merchants State Bank

As of Q1 2026, Alliance Bank carries a larger commercial real estate loan book than Farmers & Merchants State Bank, roughly 3.3× the size — $459.6M versus $139.7M. CRE book size is one gauge of how much lending capacity a bank is actively deploying, though a bigger book is not automatically better for a borrower; what matters is whether the bank is still growing that book and how concentrated it has become.

Their trajectories diverge: Farmers & Merchants State Bank is growing its CRE book (1.3% quarter over quarter) while Alliance Bank is contracting (-0.5%). For a borrower weighing the two, the expanding lender is the more likely to be competing for new business right now.

Farmers & Merchants State Bank is further up the concentration curve at 463% — past the 300% supervisory guideline — while Alliance Bank sits lower at 221% with more balance-sheet capacity to keep lending. A borrower may find the less-concentrated bank more receptive to new credit, though concentration is only one of several appetite signals.

Alliance Bank carries a higher nonaccrual CRE ratio (1% of its CRE book, versus 0% at the other). Rising nonaccruals consume management attention and provisions and often precede tighter credit standards — a useful caution flag when comparing the two as a potential lender.

County recorded documents show both lenders actively closing commercial loans — 2 recent for Alliance Bank and 2 for Farmers & Merchants State Bank. Alliance Bank shows the heavier recent activity in the records we track. Filed deeds of trust are the ground truth of a closed, secured loan, so a presence here confirms the bank is writing business, not just quoting it.

The short version: Alliance Bank runs the larger CRE book, Farmers & Merchants State Bank is the one still expanding. The right lender for any specific deal still depends on property type, sponsorship, and the current terms each is quoting — the table above and each bank's full profile carry the detail.