Times are good for First Atlantic Bank. A little over three years old, the local bank was unscathed by the recession.  With no bad loans, First Atlantic enjoys a 4-star rating from Bankrate.com – the second highest rating in the Jacksonville/St. Augustine area.  According to Luciano Noir-Jones, St. Augustine Market Executive Vice President, the rating means, “Depositors money is safe with us.” 

Perhaps even more surprising in today’s environment is that First Atlantic Bank is lending. “Our capital is strong,” said Noir-Jones. “We’re actively lending to local businesses, from retail stores and restaurants to service-oriented companies, in Jacksonville and St. Augustine.  We anticipate doing about 20 SBA loans this year,” he added. 

First Atlantic is also strong in residential home lending. First Atlantic is one of the few lenders still doing construction to permanent loans and lot loans. Says Noir-Jones, “We underwrite and keep residential loans on our books, instead of selling them off.  This allows us to be more flexible for cases where a borrower, or the home they are buying, do not fit in the ideal box – recent examples are a high loan-to-value situation and a condo loan.”  First Atlantic recently teamed with Davidson Realty to have the bank’s Residential Mortgage Officer Jay Pardue onsite at Davidson’s office in World Golf Village two days a week.  Says Davidson Realty President Sherry Davidson, “This is a great opportunity for homebuyers since they can get expert advice on home loans on the spot.”

First Atlantic Bank has two locations in Jacksonville and two locations in St. Augustine – at Palencia and at Cobblestone Village. It has local investors and local board members. It’s tuned into the Northeast Florida market. Sherry Davidson recently joined First Atlantic’s Advisory Board. “We’ve been a very happy customer of First Atlantic, so I welcomed the opportunity to join fellow business owners on their Advisory Board. Rare is a bank that never fails to treat you like a valued customer,” said Davidson.

Luciano Noir-Jones credits the bank’s employees with creating a welcoming atmosphere.  “Our customer service is key to our success.  First Atlantic staff is committed to making customers feel welcome, respected and appreciated. It’s why we continue to see customers move their business to First Atlantic from larger banks.”

More information about First Atlantic Bank can be found on their website, including links to positive articles in the Jacksonville Business Journal and the Florida Times-Union.  Visit www.bankfirstatlantic.com.