Wescom CU Expanding Into Commercial Real Estate Lending.(Wescom Credit Union)

Wescom Credit Union recently opened a commercial real estate division, with an emphasis on loans for small-to mid-size apartment buildings.

While many credit unions have avoided commercial lending because of the risks involved, Cathy Duggan, Wescom's senior vice president of lending, said the credit union's research found multi-family residential properties are sound investments.

"The surprising thing when you look at loan statistics is, these loans have very low delinquency and loss rates," she said. "It all depends on the underwriting and having the expert