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. [_][☐]

As of November 30, 2019,December 2, 2022 the registrant had 8,345,0698,240,087 shares of common stock issued and outstanding.  The aggregate market value of the common stock held by nonaffiliates of the registrant, based on the closing sales price of the registrant’s common stock as quoted on the NASDAQ Global Market on March 31, 2019,2022, was $233.3$224.34 million (8,336,419(8,305,826 shares at $27.98)$27.01).  For purposes of this calculation, common stock held by officers and directors of the registrant was included.

As used throughout this report, the terms "we," "our," or "us," refer to Timberland Bancorp, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiary, unless the context otherwise requires.

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K may contain 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 often include 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 future economic performance.  These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated or implied by our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: potential adverse impacts to economic conditions in our local market areas, other markets where the Company has lending relationships, or other aspects of the Company's business operations or financial markets, including, without limitation, as a result of employment levels, labor shortages and the effects of inflation, a potential recession or slowed economic growth caused by increasing political instability from acts of war including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as well as increasing oil prices and supply chain disruptions, and any governmental or societal responses to novel coronavirus disease 2019 ("COVID-19") pandemic, including the possibility of new COVID-19 variants; credit risks of lending activities, including changes in the level and trend of loan delinquencies and write-offs and changes in our allowance for loan losses and provision for loan losses that may be impacted by deterioration in the housing and commercial real estate markets which may lead to increased losses and non-performing loans in our loan portfolio and may result in our allowance for loan losses not being adequate to cover actual losses, and require us to materially increase our loan loss reserves; changes in general economic conditions, either nationally or in our market areas; changes in the levels of general interest rates, and the relative differences between short and long termlong-term interest rates, deposit interest rates, our net interest margin and funding sources; uncertainty regarding the future of the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"), and the transition away from LIBOR toward new interest rate benchmarks; fluctuations in the demand for loans, the number of unsold homes, land and other properties and fluctuations in real estate values in our market areas; secondary market conditions for loans and our ability to sell loans in the secondary market; results of examinations of us by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and of our bank subsidiary by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Banks or other regulatory authorities, including the possibility that any such regulatory authority may, among other things, institute a formal or informal enforcement action against us or our bank subsidiary which could require us to increase our allowance for loan losses, write-down assets, change our regulatory capital position or affect our ability to borrow funds or maintain or increase deposits or impose additional requirements or restrictions on us, any of which could adversely affect our liquidity and earnings; legislative or regulatory changes that adversely affect our business including changes in banking, securities and tax law, in regulatory policies and principles, or the interpretation of regulatory capital or other rules and including changes as a result of Basel III; the impact of the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and implementing regulations;COVID-19; our ability to attract and retain deposits; our ability to successfully integrate any assets, liabilities, customers, systems, and management personnel we may in the future acquire into our operations and our ability to realize related revenue synergies and cost savings within expected time frames and any goodwill charges related thereto; our ability to control operating costs and expenses; 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; difficulties in reducing risks associated with the loans onin our consolidated balance sheet; staffing fluctuations in response to product demand or the implementation of corporate strategies that affect our work force and potential associated charges; disruptions, security breaches, or other adverse events, failures or interruptions in, or attacks on, our information technology systems or on the third-party vendors who perform several of our critical processing functions; our ability to retain key members of our senior management team; costs and effects of litigation, including settlements and judgments; our ability to implement our business strategies; our ability to manage loan delinquency rates; increased competitive pressures among financial services companies; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; the availability of resources to address changes in laws, rules, or regulations or to respond to regulatory actions; our ability to pay dividends on our common stock; the quality and composition of our securities portfolio and the impact if any adverse changes in the securities markets;markets, including on market liquidity; inability of key third-party providers to perform their obligations to us; changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the financial institution regulatory agencies or the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB"), including additional guidance and interpretation on accounting issues and details of the implementation of new accounting methods; the economic impact of climate change, severe weather events, natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics and other public health crises, acts of war or any terrorist activities;terrorism. and other external events on our business; other economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory, and technological factors affecting our operations;operations, pricing, products and services;services and other risks described elsewhere in this Form 10-K and in the Company's other reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Any of the forward-looking statements that we make in this Form 10-K and in the other public statements we make are based upon management's beliefs and assumptions at the time they are made. We do not undertake and specifically disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this annual report to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those contained in such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking statements discussed in this document

might not occur and we caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. These risks could cause our actual results for fiscal 20202023 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements by, or on behalf of, us, and could negatively affect the Company's consolidated financial condition and results of operations as well as its stock price performance.

Item 1.  Business

General

Timberland Bancorp, Inc. (“Timberland Bancorp" or the "Company”), a Washington corporation, was organized on September 8, 1997 for the purpose of becoming the holding company for Timberland Bank (the "Bank").  At September 30, 2019,2022, on a consolidated basis, the Company had total assets of $1.25$1.86 billion, net loans receivable of $886.66 million,$1.13 billion, total deposits of $1.07$1.63 billion and total shareholders’ equity of $171.07$218.57 million.  The Company’s business activities generally are limited to passive investment activities and oversight of its investment in the Bank.  Accordingly, the information set forth in this report, including consolidated financial statements and related data, relates primarily to the Bank and its subsidiary, Timberland Service Corporation.Corp.

The Bank opened for business in 1915 and serves consumers and businesses across Grays Harbor, Pierce, Thurston, Pierce, King, Kitsap and Lewis counties, Washington with a full range of lending and deposit services through its 2423 branches (including its main office in Hoquiam). The Bank’s deposits are insured up to applicable legal limits by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”).  The Bank has been a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank System since 1937.  The Bank is regulated by the Washington Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Banks (“Division” or “DFI”) and the FDIC. The Company is regulated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System ("Federal Reserve").

On October 1, 2018, the Company completed the acquisition of South Sound Bank, a Washington-state chartered bank, headquartered in Olympia, Washington ("South Sound Acquisition"). The Company acquired 100% of the outstanding common stock of South Sound Bank, and South Sound Bank was merged into the Bank. The results of operations of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities have been included in the Company's consolidated financial statements as of and for the period since the acquisition date. For additional details see Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in "Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

Timberland Bank is a community-oriented bank which has traditionally offered a variety of savings products to its retail customers while concentrating its lending activities on real estate mortgage loans. Lending activities have been focused primarily on the origination of loans secured by real estate, including residential and commercial / multi-family construction loans, one- to four-family residential loans, multi-family loans, commercial real estate loans and land loans. The Bank originates adjustable-rate residential mortgage loans that do not qualify for sale in the secondary market. The Bank also originates commercial business loans and other consumer loans.

Market Area

The Bank considers Grays Harbor, Pierce, Thurston, King, Kitsap King and Lewis counties, Washington as its primary market areas.  The Bank conducts operations from:

For additional information, see “Item 2. Properties.”

Hoquiam, with a population of approximately 8,600,8,900, is located in Grays Harbor County which is situated along Washington State’s central Pacific coast.  Hoquiam is located approximately 110 miles southwest of Seattle, Washington and 145 miles northwest of Portland, Oregon.

The Bank considers its primary market area to include six sub-markets: primarily rural Grays Harbor County with its historical dependence on the timber and fishing industries; Thurston and Kitsap counties with their dependence on state and federal government; Pierce and King counties with their broadly diversified economic bases; and Lewis County with its dependence on retail trade, manufacturing, industrial services and local government.  Each of these markets presents operating risks to the Bank.  The Bank’s expansion into Pierce, Thurston, Kitsap, King and Lewis counties represents the Bank’s strategy to expand and diversify its primary market area to become less reliant on the economy of Grays Harbor County.

Grays Harbor County has a population of 74,00077,000 according to the United States ("U.S.") Census Bureau 20182022 estimates and a median family income of $63,500$79,600 according to 20192022 estimates from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”).  The economic base in Grays Harbor County has been historically dependent on the timber and fishing industries.  Other industries that support the economic base are tourism, agriculture, shipping, transportation and technology.  According to the Washington State Employment Security Department, the unemployment rate in Grays Harbor County increased to 6.7%5.8% at September 30, 20192022 from 5.5%5.3% at September 30, 2018.2021.  The median price of a resale home in Grays Harbor County for the quarter ended JuneSeptember 30, 20192022 increased 12.0%9.2% to $211,400$357,200 from $188,800$327,100 for the comparable prior year period.  The number of home sales decreased 0.5%increased 1.3% for the quarter ended JuneSeptember 30, 20192022 compared to the same quarter one year earlier.  The Bank has six branches (including its home office) located in the county.  

Pierce County is the second most populous county in the state and has a population of 891,000926,000 according to the U.S. Census Bureau 20182022 estimates.  The county’s median family income is $80,200$101,800 according to 20192022 HUD estimates.  The economy in Pierce County is diversified with the presence of military related government employment (Joint Base Lewis-McChord), transportation and shipping employment (Port of Tacoma), and aerospace related employment.  According to the Washington State Employment Security Department, the unemployment rate for the Pierce County area increased to 5.0%4.3% at September 30, 20192022 from 4.4%4.2% at September 30, 2018.2021. The median price of a resale home in Pierce County for the quarter ended JuneSeptember 30, 20192022 increased 5.3%7.2% to $372,300$554,900 from $353,700$517,500 for the comparable prior year period.  The number of home sales decreased 6.3%5.7% for the quarter ended JuneSeptember 30, 20192022 compared to the same quarter one year earlier.  The Bank has five branches located in Pierce County, and these branches have historically been responsible for a substantial portion of the Bank’s construction lending activities. 

Thurston County has a population of 286,000298,000 according to the U.S. Census Bureau 20182022 estimates and a median family income of $83,700$103,500 according to 20192022 HUD estimates.  Thurston County is home of Washington State’s capital (Olympia), and its economic base is largely driven by state government related employment.  According to the Washington State Employment Security Department, the unemployment rate for the Thurston County area increased to 4.8%3.8% at September 30, 20192022 from 4.1%3.5% at September 30, 2018.2021. The median price of a resale home in Thurston County for the quarter ended JuneSeptember 30, 20192022 increased 6.7%4.3% to $340,700$493,000 from $319,300$472,600 for the same quarter one year earlier.  The number of home sales decreased 4.2%0.5% for the quarter ended JuneSeptember 30, 20192022 compared to the same quarter one year earlier.  The Bank has sevensix branches located in Thurston County.  This county has historically had a stable economic base primarily attributable to the state government presence.

Kitsap County has a population of 270,000274,000 according to the U.S. Census Bureau 20182022 estimates and a median family income of $85,500$102,500 according to 20192022 HUD estimates.  The Bank has two branches located in Kitsap County.  The economic base of Kitsap County is largely supported by military related government employment through the U.S. Navy.  According to the Washington State Employment Security Department, the unemployment rate for the Kitsap County area increased to 4.5%3.6% at September 30, 20192022 from 4.1%3.4% at September 30, 2018.2021.  The median price of a resale home in Kitsap County for the quarter ended JuneSeptember 30, 20192022 increased 7.1%5.6% to $380,800$541,600 from $355,600$512,700 for the same quarter one year earlier.  The number of home sales decreased 7.7%was unchanged for the quarter ended JuneSeptember 30, 20192022 compared to the same quarter one year earlier.  

King County is the most populous county in the state and has a population of 2.22.3 million according to the U.S. Census Bureau 20182022 estimates.  The Bank has one branch located in King County.  The county’s median family income is $108,600$134,600 according to 20192022 HUD estimates.  King County’s economic base is diversified with many industries including shipping, transportation, aerospace, computer technology and biotech.  According to the Washington State Employment Security Department, the unemployment rate for the King County area decreased to 3.0%2.9% at September 30, 20192022 from 3.4%4.3% at

September 30, 2018.2021. The median price of a resale home in King County for the quarter ended JuneSeptember 30, 2019 decreased 3.9%2022 increased 4.3% to $701,200$893,800 from $729,800$856,700 for the same quarter one year earlier.  The number of home sales decreased 6.8%11.6% for the quarter ended JuneSeptember 30, 20192022 compared to the same quarter one year earlier.  

Lewis County has a population of 80,00084,000 according to the U.S. Census Bureau 20182022 estimates and a median family income of $63,500$79,600 according to 20192022 HUD estimates.  The economic base in Lewis County is supported by manufacturing, retail trade, local government and industrial services.  According to the Washington State Employment Security Department, the unemployment rate in Lewis County increased to 5.9%4.7% at September 30, 20192022 from 5.1%4.3% at September 30, 2018.2021. The median price of a resale home in Lewis County for the quarter ended JuneSeptember 30, 20192022 increased 15.2%3.8% to $258,300$396,500 from $224,300$381,900 for the same quarter one year earlier.  The number of home sales decreased 3.1%4.4% for the quarter ended JuneSeptember 30, 20192022 compared to the same quarter one year earlier.  The Bank currently has three branches located in Lewis County.  

Lending Activities

The Bank’s internal loan policy limits the maximum amount of loans to one borrower to 20% of its capital plus surplus. According to the Washington Administrative Code, capital and surplus are defined as a bank's Tier 1 capital, Tier 2 capital and the balance of a bank's allowance for loan losses not included in the bank's Tier 2 capital as reported in the bank's call report. At September 30, 2019,2022, the maximum amount which the Bank could have lent to any one borrower and the borrower’s related entities was approximately $32.48$43.29 million under this policy.  At September 30, 2019,2022, the largest amount outstanding to any one borrower and the borrower’s related entities was $18.30$39.79 million (including $4.18 million in available lines of credit), which was secured by multi-family andvarious commercial real estate and residential properties and other business assets located primarily in King and BentonPierce counties, and these borrowings were performing according to their loan repayment terms at September 30, 2019.2022.  The next largest amount outstanding to any one borrower and the borrower’s related entities was $16.40 million.$34.62 million (including $10.93 million of undisbursed construction loan proceeds).  These loans were secured by multi-family, one- to four-family and commercial real estate properties and other business assets located primarily in KingThurston County and were performing according to their loan repayment terms at September 30, 2019.

Generally, one- to four-family fixed-rate loans are originated to meet the requirements for sale in the secondary market to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac") or the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines ("FHLB").  From time to time, however, a portion of these fixed-rate loans may be retained in the loan portfolio to meet the Bank’s asset/liability management objectives. The Bank uses an automated underwriting program, which preliminarily qualifies a loan as conforming to Freddie Mac underwriting standards when the loan is originated.  At September 30, 2019, $37.952022, $82.25 million, or 28.6%46.7%, of the Bank’s one- to four-family loan portfolio consisted of fixed-rate mortgage loans.

A portion of the Bank’s ARM loans are “non-conforming”,“non-conforming,” because they do not satisfy acreage limits or various other requirements imposed by Freddie Mac.  Some of these loans are also originated to meet the needs of borrowers who cannot otherwise satisfy Freddie Mac credit requirements because of personal and financial reasons (i.e., divorce, bankruptcy, length of time employed, etc.), and other aspects, which do not conform to Freddie Mac’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.  These loans are known as non-conforming loans, and the Bank may require additional collateral or lower loan-to-value ratios to reduce the risk of these loans.  The Bank believes that these loans satisfy a need in its local market area.  As a result, subject to market conditions, the Bank intends to continue to originate these types of loans.

The retention of ARM loans in the Bank’s loan portfolio helps reduce the Bank’s exposure to changes in interest rates.  There are, however, unquantifiable credit risks resulting from the potential of increased interest to be paid by the customer as a result of increases in interest rates.  It is possible that during periods of rising interest rates, the risk of default on ARM loans may increase as a result of repricing and the increased costs to the borrower.  The Bank attempts to reduce the potential for delinquencies and defaults on ARM loans by qualifying the borrower based on the borrower’s ability to repay the ARM loan assuming a 2.0% increase in the initial interest rate.  Another consideration is that although ARM loans allow the Bank to increase the sensitivity of its asset base due to changes in the interest rates, the extent of this interest sensitivity is limited by the periodic and lifetime interest rate adjustment limits.  Because of these considerations, the Bank has no assurance that yield increases on ARM loans will be sufficient to offset increases in the Bank’s cost of funds.

While fixed-rate, single-family residential mortgage loans are normally originated with 15 to 30 year terms to maturity, these loans typically remain outstanding for substantially shorter periods because borrowers often prepay their loans in full upon sale of the property pledged as security or upon refinancing the original loan.  In addition, substantially all mortgage loans in the Bank’s loan portfolio contain due-on-sale clauses providing that the Bank may declare the unpaid amount due and payable upon the sale of the property securing the loan.  Typically, the Bank enforces these due-on-sale clauses to the extent permitted by law and as business judgment dictates.  Thus, average loan maturity is a function of, among other factors, the level of purchase and sale activity in the real estate market, prevailing interest rates and the interest rates received on outstanding loans.

The Bank requires that fire and extended coverage casualty insurance be maintained on the collateral for all of its real estate secured loans and flood insurance, if appropriate.

The Bank’s lending policies generally limit the maximum loan-to-value ratio on mortgage loans secured by owner-occupied properties to 95% of the lesser of the appraised value or the purchase price.  However, the Bank usually obtains private mortgage insurance (“PMI”) on the portion of the principal amount that exceeds 80% of the appraised value of the security property. The maximum loan-to-value ratio on mortgage loans secured by non-owner-occupied properties is generally 80% (90% for loans

The maximum loan-to-value ratio for multi-family loans is generally limited to not more than 80%.  The Bank generally requests its multi-family loan borrowers with loan balances in excess of $750,000 to submit financial statements and rent rolls annually on the properties securing such loans.  The Bank also inspects such properties annually.  The Bank generally imposes a minimum debt coverage ratio of 1.20 for loans secured by multi-family properties.

Multi-family mortgage lending affords the Bank an opportunity to receive interest at rates higher than those generally available from one- to four- family residential lending.  However, loans secured by multi-family properties usually are greater in amount, more difficult to evaluate and monitor and, therefore, may involve a greater degree of risk than one- to four-family residential mortgage loans.  Because payments on loans secured by multi-family properties are often dependent on the successful operation and management of the properties, repayment of such loans may be affected by adverse conditions in the real estate market or the economy.  The Bank seeks to minimize these risks by scrutinizing the financial condition of the borrower, the quality of the collateral and the management of the property securing the loan.  If the borrower is other than an individual, the Bank also generally obtains personal guarantees from the principals (with ownership interests of 20% or more) based on a review of personal financial statements. At September 30, 2019,2022, all multi-family loans were performing according to their repayment terms. See "Lending Activities - Non-performing Loans and Delinquencies."

The Bank typically requires appraisals of properties securing commercial real estate loans.  For loans that are less than $250,000, the Bank may use an evaluation provided by a third partythird-party vendor in lieu of an appraisal.  Appraisals are performed by independent appraisers designated by the Bank.  The Bank considers the quality and location of the real estate, the credit history of the borrower, the cash flow of the project and the quality of management involved with the property when making these loans.  The Bank generally imposes a minimum debt coverage ratio of approximately 1.20 for loans secured by income producing commercial properties.  Loan-to-value ratios on commercial real estate loans are generally limited to not more than 80%.  If the borrower is other than an individual, the Bank also generally obtains personal guarantees from the principals (with ownership interests of 20% or more) based on a review of personal financial statements.

Commercial real estate lending affords the Bank an opportunity to receive interest at rates higher than those generally available from one- to four-family residential lending.  However, loans secured by such properties usually are greater in amount, more difficult to evaluate and monitor and, therefore, involve a greater degree of risk than one- to four-family residential mortgage loans.  Because payments on loans secured by commercial properties often depend upon the successful operation and management of the properties, repayment of these loans may be affected by adverse conditions in the real estate market or the economy.  The Bank seeks to minimize these risks by generally limiting the maximum loan-to-value ratio to 80% and scrutinizing the financial condition of the borrower, the quality of the collateral and the management of the property securing the loan.  The Bank also generally requests annual financial information and rent rolls on the subject property from the borrowers on loans over $750,000.

All construction loans must be approved by a member of one of the Bank’s Loan Committees or the Bank’s Board of Directors, or in the case of one- to four-family construction loans that meet Freddie Mac guidelines, by the Regional Manager of Community Lending, the Loan Department Supervisor or a Bank underwriter. See “- Lending“Lending Activities - Loan Solicitation and

Loan disbursements during the construction period are made to the builder, materials supplier or subcontractor, based on a line item budget.  Periodic on-site inspections are made by qualified independent inspectors to document the reasonableness of draw requests.  For most builders, the Bank disburses loan funds by providing vouchers to borrowers, which when used by the borrower to purchase supplies are submitted by the supplier to the Bank for payment.

The Bank originates construction loan applications primarily through customer referrals, contacts in the business community and, occasionally, real estate brokers seeking financing for their clients.

Construction lending affords the Bank the opportunity to achieve higher interest rates and fees with shorter terms to maturity than does its single-family permanent mortgage lending.  Construction lending, however, is generally considered to involve a higher degree of risk than single-family permanent mortgage lending, because funds are advanced upon the collateral for the project based on an estimate of the 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.  With regard to loans originated to builders for speculative projects, 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. A downturn in the housing or the real estate market could increase loan delinquencies, defaults, and foreclosures, and significantly impair the value of our collateral and our ability to sell the collateral upon foreclosure. Some builders who have borrowed from us to fund construction projects on a speculative basis have more than one loan outstanding with us. Consequently, an adverse development with respect to one loan or one credit relationship can expose us to a significantly greater risk of loss.

In addition, during the term of many of our construction loans granted to builders who are building residential units for sale, no payment from the borrower is required since the accumulated interest is added to the principal of the loan through an interest reserve. As a result, 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. Properties under construction are often difficult to sell and typically must be completed in order to be successfully sold which also complicates the process of working out 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 an added risk associated with identifying an end-purchaser for the finished project.

Loans secured by undeveloped land or improved lots involve greater risks than one- to four-family residential mortgage loans because these loans are more difficult to evaluate.  If the estimate of value proves to be inaccurate, in the event of default and foreclosure, the Bank may be confronted with a property the value of which is insufficient to assure full

repayment. Land loans also pose additional risk because of the lack of income being produced by the property and potential illiquid nature of the collateral. These risks can be significantly impacted by supply and demand conditions.  The Bank attempts to minimize these risks by generally limiting the maximum loan-to-value ratio on land loans to 75%.

At September 30, 2019, the largest component of the consumer loan portfolio consisted of second mortgage loans and home equity lines of credit, which totaled $40.19 million, or 4.1%, of the Bank's total loan portfolio.  Home equity lines of credit and second mortgage loans are made for purposes such as the improvement of residential properties, debt consolidation and education expenses, among others.  The majority of these loans are made to existing customers and are secured by a first or second mortgage on residential property.  The loan-to-value ratio is typically 90% or less, when taking into account both the first and second mortgage loans.  Second mortgage loans typically carry fixed interest rates with a fixed payment over a term between five and 15 years.  Home equity lines of credit are generally made at interest rates tied to the Prime Rate.  Second mortgage loans and home equity lines of credit have greater credit risk than one- to four-family residential mortgage loans in which the Bank is in the first lien position, because they are generally secured by mortgages subordinated to the existing first mortgage on the property. For those second mortgage loans and home equity lines credit on which the Bank does not hold the existing first mortgage on the property, it is unlikely that the Bank will be successful in recovering all or a portion of the loan balance in the event of default unless the Bank is prepared to repay the first mortgage loan and such repayment and the costs associated with a foreclosure are justified by the value of the property.

    

Consumer loans entail greater risk than do residential mortgage loans, particularly in the case of consumer loans that are unsecured or secured by rapidly depreciating assets such as automobiles.  In such cases, any repossessed collateral for a defaulted consumer loan may not provide an adequate source of repayment of the outstanding loan balance as a result of the greater likelihood of damage, loss or depreciation.  The remaining deficiency often does not warrant further substantial collection efforts against the borrower beyond obtaining a deficiency judgment.  In addition, consumer loan collections are dependent on the borrower’s continuing financial stability and are more likely to be adversely affected by job loss, divorce, illness or personal bankruptcy.  Furthermore, the application of various federal and state laws, including federal and state bankruptcy and insolvency laws, may limit the amount that can be recovered on such loans.  The Bank believes that these risks are not as prevalent in the case of the Bank’s consumer loan portfolio, because a large percentage of the portfolio consists of second mortgage loans and home equity lines of credit that are underwritten in a manner such that they result in credit risk that is substantially similar to one- to four-family residential mortgage loans.  At September 30, 2019, eight2022, three consumer loans totaling $626,000$255,000 were on non-accrual status. See “Lending Activities - Non-performing Loans and Delinquencies.”

    

The Bank has increased commercial business loan originations made under the U.S. Small Business Administration ("SBA") 7(a) program. Loans made by the Bank under the SBA 7(a) program generally are made to small businesses to provide working capital or to provide funding for the purchase of businesses, real estate, or equipment. These loans generally are secured by a combination of assets that may include equipment, receivables, inventory, business real property, and sometimes a lien on the personal residence of the borrower. The terms of these loans vary by purpose and type of underlying collateral. The loans are primarily underwritten on the basis of the borrower's ability to service the loan from income. Under the SBA 7(a) program, the loans carry aan SBA guaranty for up to 85% of the loan. Typical maturities for this type of loan vary but can be up to ten years. SBA 7(a) loans are all adjustable rate loans based on the Prime Rate. Under the SBA 7(a) program, the Bank can sell in the secondary market the guaranteed portion of its SBA 7(a) loans and retain the related unguaranteed portion of these loans, as well as the servicing on such loans, for which it is paid a fee. The loan servicing spread is generally a minimum of 1.00% on all SBA 7(a) loans. The Bank generally offers SBA 7(a) loans within a range of $50,000 to $1.50 million.

Commercial business lending generally involves greater risk than residential mortgage lending and involves risks that are different from those associated with residential and commercial real estate lending.  Real estate lending is generally considered to be collateral based lending with loan amounts based on predetermined loan to collateral values, and liquidation of the underlying real estate collateral is viewed as the primary source of repayment in the event of borrower default.  Although commercial business loans are often collateralized by equipment, inventory, accounts receivable and/or other business assets, the liquidation of collateral in the event of a borrower default is often an insufficient source of repayment because accounts receivable may be uncollectible and inventories and equipment may be obsolete or of limited use, among other things.  Accordingly, the repayment of a commercial business loan depends primarily on the creditworthiness of the borrower (and any guarantors), while liquidation of collateral is a secondary and often insufficient source of repayment.