Bank extends reach with mortgage accounts.

One thinks of a community as focused exclusively on the community it serves, and this holds true in most cases.

For Citizens Community Bank choosing to promote a mortgage product enables us to help our community grow--and also expand our economic horizons by arranging financing for real estate development in other regions, as well.

Commercial banking and the real estate industry have a natural relationship; funds are always needed for acquisition, development, and redevelopment, and banks with mortgage divisions provide a reliable funding source.

At Citizens, we are particularly attuned to these needs, since members of our senior management as well as members of our Board of Directors are seasoned professionals with extensive experience in the commercial and residential arenas of real estate.

Our familiarity with site acquisition, construction, complex financing make this a particularly logical extension of service.

Additionally, we would be remiss in our responsibilities to our institution and our community if we were to forego the financial opportunities presented by servicing the real estate sector.

When all is said and done, there are concrete advantages to all concerned parties in real estate. Mortgage financing can benefit, in turn, the developer, the purchaser, the community, and of course, The Bank.

Most significantly, though, our level of expertise means we can also serve in an advisory capacity during the entire process.

Approval procedures, zoning issues, legal requirements and other roadblocks can stall real estate development, but the mortgage professionals at Citizens draw from our deep knowledge base and can advise on these and other development matters.

We can help smooth the way for a successful project from the early stages straight through to completion.

And we stay true to our roots in the community, both by enriching the assets of the community, or, when the real estate financing involves other geographic areas, by strengthening the bank itself.

To that latter point, our long-term strategy is to provide real estate development funding for other cities, other counties, and in other states as well. Many builders have a nationwide presence, and prefer to repeat successful financing with the same institution. We can assist in that capacity, and still maintain our 'local bank' status by channeling some of the profit back into the community.

Another aspect to mortgage financing that suits Citizens is our policy of personalization.

Our entire senior management is hands-on, personally handling transactions that range from the simple and traditional to the complex and unusual.

The same attitude, one of careful attention to detail and plenty of dedication, benefits the mortgage financing environment by making it a more efficient and effective process.

And at Citizens, decisions concerning the bank's lending/investments are made in the bank, on a daily basis, without the need to call a corporate headquarters in another state, or apply rigid formulas created by an unseen loan officer.

It may be a bit out of the ordinary for a small, one-branch bank to seek real estate development, but in our case, the synergy of our existing skill set, experienced personnel, and of course, financial resources, makes it a perfect fit.

The mortgage industry will quickly come to know Citizens Community Bank in Ridgewood as a friend, a good neighbor, and a savvy business partner.

RICHARD C. LANZA, PRESIDENT, CITIZENS COMMUNITY BANK