Blog Elements

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Top Rural & Agricultural Credit Unions

April 16, 2025/in Uncategorized

About 60 million people live in rural communities throughout the country. Rural dwellers’ inconvenient distance from financial hubs and their unique financial needs mean they often look for specialized support. As such, there are a number of savvy credit unions that specifically serve the needs of this large population. And, they serve them better than […]

The Importance of a Commercial Inspection

April 16, 2025/in Uncategorized

Commercial Property Inspections are an Essential Step in Closing a Sale As a commercial real estate lender, AVANA CUSO has funded countless commercial real estate loans of varying scope and scale. With each of these loans, one of the most essential steps is having a property condition assessment conducted by a qualified commercial building inspector. […]

Top Rural & Agricultural Credit Unions

April 16, 2025/in Uncategorized

The Importance of a Commercial Inspection

April 16, 2025/in Uncategorized

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Top Rural & Agricultural Credit Unions

April 16, 2025/in Uncategorized

As such, there are a number of savvy credit unions that specifically serve the needs of this large population. And, they serve them better than standardized banks or other financial institutions that don’t have a specialized rural focus.

The employees of rural and agricultural credit unions understand these lifestyles and communities on a firsthand basis, so they can provide more personalized service to the people who live in such areas.

These CUs offer such high-quality services and specialized financial products given their expertise in rural communities and their financial needs. Plus, they typically and wisely partner with a seasoned credit union service organization (CUSO), such as AVANA CUSO. AVANA CUSO has decades of experience partnering with credit unions across the country to help diversify their lending portfolios and better serve their members.

Here our financial experts have compiled the top credit unions in the United States that serve rural and agricultural communities.

History of Credit Unions

Before we review some of the top rural and agricultural credit unions of today, it’s worth highlighting the history of credit unions altogether.

The first credit union was established in 1864 by Friedrich Raiffeisen, the mayor of a small German village. He set out to create a rural cooperative by compiling capital that he could distribute as loans to those in need of funds.

Raiffeisen largely created his innovative financial institution to aid poor farmers in the region due to his strong belief that credit unions would be a conduit for social and community change. As we know, he was right.

The spirit of community-first banking solutions still rings true across the credit union industry today. The following list of credit unions continues to advance their rural and agricultural members with many of the same values on which Raiffeisen founded the first-ever CU.

1. Agriculture Federal Credit Union

Based in Washington, D.C., and serving members across the country since 1934, Agriculture Federal Credit Union (AgFed) aims to provide members with financial services of the highest quality.

People are eligible for membership if they are in the D.C. area or are part of one of the Select Employee Groups (SEGs), which includes the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the American Crop Protection Association, the Agricultural Cooperative Development International and dozens of others.

AgFed offers auto loans, credit cards, home equity loans, checking accounts and more to help professionals in the agricultural field meet their financial goals.

2. Rural Cooperatives Credit Union

The Rural Cooperatives Credit Union was founded in 1964 and aims to assist members in realizing their personal financial success through competitive and value-oriented products and services.

They pride themselves in the way they give back to their members and rural communities while still being a full-service financial institution. Their main products include low-rate loans and convenient checking accounts that have no monthly maintenance fees and free in-network ATM withdrawals.

To become a member of the Rural Cooperatives Credit Union, you must be an employee of or family member of an employee who works for Electric Cooperatives in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee or be a member of a number of other energy and utility-based professions in these states.

3. Heartland Credit Union

Heartland Credit Union is based in southwest Wisconsin and serves members primarily across rural Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. Heartland is focused on preserving rural America and supporting its customers in the agricultural industry through cost-effective financial services.

The credit union opened in 1936 and, aside from personal and business banking solutions, they also offer agricultural financial products, including personal farm property, real estate, operating lines of credit and FSA-guaranteed loans to help farmers in their area.

About AVANA CUSO

Established in 1998 and headquartered in Simi Valley, CA, AVANA CUSO is one of the most seasoned credit union service organizations (CUSO) focused on commercial lending. For decades, we have partnered with credit unions across the country to offer competitive and collaborative loans. We also uniquely support and guide our partners through the entire lifecycle of our loans. AVANA CUSO is a proud member of the AVANA Family of Companies.

The Importance of a Commercial Inspection

April 16, 2025/in Uncategorized

Commercial Property Inspections are an Essential Step in Closing a Sale

As a commercial real estate lender, AVANA CUSO has funded countless commercial real estate loans of varying scope and scale. With each of these loans, one of the most essential steps is having a property condition assessment conducted by a qualified commercial building inspector. This step safeguards buyers, investors and the lender by spotlighting a property’s hidden structural, maintenance, mechanical and hazardous shortcomings. In short, a commercial property inspection protects your investment by making you aware of potentially expensive and dangerous maintenance and repairs that will need to be addressed.

The Commercial Building Inspector’s Role

We should preface this advice by saying a comprehensive commercial inspection must be done by a qualified commercial building inspector. Their training and experience give them the optics and know-how to conduct a thorough inspection that should shed light on any large-scale issues with a commercial property.

A certified commercial building inspector will closely evaluate the following as a part of his/her inspection checklist. Then, he/she will document the property’s condition and include an estimated cost of any immediate or upcoming repairs that will need to be done.

Building structure and its foundation
Electrical and plumbing
HVAC
Roof
Mold and hazardous materials (ex. black mold, water damage, lead paint, asbestos, etc.)
Fire, safety and ADA compliance
And more

Protecting Your Commercial Investment

Bottom line: A commercial property inspection safeguards you in making your real estate investment. Repairs can be expensive and time-consuming. Plus, overlooking hazards such as mold and asbestos can not only lead to costly repairs but also potential litigation should you have tenants who become ill as a result of residing or working in the property. A commercial inspection is a quick and easy step to protecting you from potentially large and costly issues down the road.

After your commercial property inspection is complete, you and your lender can then decide if the investment is a sound one.

Even if you are a cash buyer, we equally recommend you have a property inspector conduct a commercial inspection. Cash transactions sometimes overlook this step given the fact they are not needing loan approval. But cash buyers need to be just as aware of building issues so they too avoid costly repairs.

About AVANA CUSO

Established in 1998 and headquartered in Simi Valley, CA, AVANA CUSO offers competitive and collaborative commercial real estate loans. We partner with credit unions and connect them to investors across the United States. Additionally, we uniquely support and guide our partners through the entire full lifecycle of the loans, including commercial inspections. AVANA CUSO is a proud member of the AVANA Family of Companies.

About us

AVANA CUSO is one of the most seasoned credit union service organizations (CUSO) focused on commercial real estate. Established in 1998.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Top Rural & Agricultural Credit Unions

The Importance of a Commercial Inspection

Top Rural & Agricultural Credit Unions

The Importance of a Commercial Inspection

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Top Rural & Agricultural Credit Unions

History of Credit Unions

1. Agriculture Federal Credit Union

2. Rural Cooperatives Credit Union

3. Heartland Credit Union

About AVANA CUSO

The Importance of a Commercial Inspection

Commercial Property Inspections are an Essential Step in Closing a Sale

The Commercial Building Inspector’s Role

Protecting Your Commercial Investment

About AVANA CUSO

About us

Who We Serve

What We Do

Login

Connect

A Member of the AVANA Family of Companies