At a glance
From its website, read 2 Nov 2026City First Enterprises Inc is a bank holding company based in Washington, District of Columbia. Its website describes commercial real estate loans, energy-efficiency loans, equipment loans and 2 other loan types. Stated loan amounts run from $100,000 to $3M. Where it lends: Washington, DC and communities across the Mid-Atlantic Region. Business loan rates stated on its site range from 6% to 9%. It accepts an ITIN. You can start an application online.
Each point is backed by a quote further down this page. Terms change: confirm with the lender.
How to reach them and apply
| Main | (202) 745-4490 source |
|---|---|
| Apply online | Page with the application link |
| Website | www.cfenterprises.org |
| Office (official list) | 1701 Rhode Island NW Suite 3-103, Washington, DC 20036 |
What their website says about applying
Start by completing the Loan Interest Form. A member of our lending team will review your information and reach out to learn more about your goals, timeline, finances, and project.
sourceIf the project appears to be a fit, you’ll be invited to complete a full loan application and provide documentation.
sourceIf you’re ready for financing, submit an interest form and a member of our lending team will review your information and follow up about next steps.
source
Phone numbers and addresses are the ones on the lender's own site and the CDFI Fund list. CDFI Atlas does not take applications.
Rates and terms they state
Read 2 Nov 2026| Loan | Stated | Text on the lender's site (verbatim) | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial real estate loans | Rate: 6%–9% | 6.0% - 9.0% | source |
| Affordable housing development loans | Rate: 6%–9% | 6.0%-9.0% | source |
| Equipment loans | Term: up to 5 yr | (and up to 5 years for equipment & vehicle financing) | source |
| Small-business loans | Term: up to 4 yr | Up to 4 years (and up to 5 years for equipment & vehicle financing) | source |
As published on the lender's website on that date, not an offer or a quote. Your rate depends on the lender's review. A missing rate means the pages we read did not state one. For consumer loans we repeat a rate only when the lender states it as an APR (annual percentage rate, which includes fees); otherwise read the lender's own wording and ask for the APR.
Who qualifies, in their words
- Minimum time in business: 2 years
2 years in business; Minimum annual revenue of $150,000; Minimum FICO of 620; ITINs accepted
source - Minimum credit score: 620
Minimum FICO of 620
source - ITIN accepted
ITINs accepted
source - Collateral flexible or not always required
1st lien and/or alternative collateral
source
Only rules the lender's own pages state. Other requirements may apply.
Official record
CDFI Fund list, 21 Oct 2026| Institution type | Bank holding company |
|---|---|
| Native CDFI | No |
| Date certified (as listed) | 1 Apr 2016 |
| RSSD ID | 2697954 |
| Address | 1701 Rhode Island NW Suite 3-103, Washington, DC 20036 Directions (Google Maps) |
| Website | www.cfenterprises.org |
Head officeBranch or officeApproximate (ZIP code area)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, © OpenMapTiles, tiles OpenFreeMap. Head-office points: U.S. Census Bureau geocoder.
Loans and eligibility
Verified from lender site on 2 Nov 2026Read from 7 pages of the lender's website on 2 Nov 2026. Quotes are verbatim. Extracted with AI help from the pages listed below and checked automatically against them. Not reviewed by a person. Confidence: high. The interest form comes before the full loan application, and the online application is only a labeled 'Apply Now' button. Terms change — confirm with the lender before applying.
| Product | Amount stated | Text on the lender's site (verbatim, incl. menu labels) | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial real estate loans | $100,000 – $3M | $100,000 - $3 Million+ | source |
| Energy / solar / efficiency loans | — | Solar, energy efficiency, other green projects | source |
| Equipment loans | — | Inventory, fixtures & machinery, equipment, vehicles, business expansion or acqusition, debt refinancing, working capital | source |
| Affordable housing development loans | $100,000 – $3M | $100K-$3 Million+ | source |
| Small-business loans | $100,000 – $500,000 | $100K-$500K* | source |
Loan sizes
CFE provides flexible loans from $100,000 to more than $3 million for projects in Washington, DC, and communities across the Mid-Atlantic Region.
source$100,000 - $3 Million+
source$100K-$3 Million+
source$100K-$500K*
source
Range used for the size filter: $100,000 to $3M
Service area
Washington, DC and communities across the Mid-Atlantic Region
for projects in Washington, DC, and communities across the Mid-Atlantic Region.
source
Borrower focus
- Nonprofits
For-profit or nonprofit developers, other nonprofit organizations, tenant associations, and community facilities
source
Languages
- No non-English service found on the pages we read.
Online application
Yes — the site links to an application. Apply Now
source
Pages read (7)
- https://www.cfenterprises.org/
- https://www.cfenterprises.org/overview-lend/affordable-housing/
- https://www.cfenterprises.org/overview-lend/commercial-real-estate/
- https://www.cfenterprises.org/overview-lend/small-business-nonprofit/
- https://www.cfenterprises.org/get-a-loan/
- https://www.cfenterprises.org/media/cfe-finances-the-preservation-of-122-affordable-housing-units-in-dc/
- https://www.cfenterprises.org/media/cfe-and-dc-green-bank-provide-5-25-million-in-financing-for-solar-energy-for-more-than-300-dc-homes-text/
Questions to ask when you contact them
Based on what their website said when we read it on 2 Nov 2026, and what it left out. Something missing here does not mean they don't offer it: ask.
- What is the APR, including fees, on your energy-efficiency loans?
Their website does not state an APR. The APR includes fees, so it is the number to compare. - Do you offer free coaching or help preparing my application?
CDFI certification requires development services, such as training or advice, alongside lending. - What documents will you need from me, and how long does a decision usually take?
Their website describes some application steps (above); ask for the full document list.
Write down the answers, who you spoke to and the date, and ask for the terms in writing before you sign.
CDFI Fund awards
CDFI Fund database, 3 Nov 2026$24 million in 13 awards from the U.S. Treasury's CDFI Fund, 2013–2023 (4 programs).
| Round year | Program | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Capital Magnet Fund | $5,300,000 |
| 2022 | CDFI Equitable Recovery Program | $3,718,258 |
| 2022 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $660,000 |
| 2021 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $625,000 |
| 2021 | CDFI Rapid Response Program | $1,826,265 |
| 2021 | Capital Magnet Fund | $4,076,250 |
| 2020 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $650,000 |
| 2020 | Capital Magnet Fund | $2,250,000 |
| 2019 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $799,000 |
| 2018 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $875,000 |
| 2015 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $700,000 |
| 2014 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $1,700,000 |
| 2013 | CDFI Program, Financial Assistance | $847,000 |
These are awards and investments made to the institution itself to build its capital and capacity. They are not loans to borrowers, and an award does not mean the lender has money available for a particular loan today.
Source: CDFI Fund Searchable Awards Database, all 12,628 award records (1996–2025), read 3 Nov 2026. Years are the award round as the database lists it. Matched to the official CDFI list by exact name and state; see the method on the About page.
Branches and size
FDIC, 30 Jun 2026Subsidiary bank on file with the FDIC: City First Bank, National Association (FDIC cert 34352, total assets $1.6 billion). Source: FDIC BankFind Suite (public data): total assets from the Call Report as of 30 Jun 2026; office list as of 30 Oct 2026, downloaded 3 Nov 2026.
| Total assets | $1.6 billion (as of 30 Jun 2026) |
|---|---|
| Offices | 3 in 2 states (as of 30 Oct 2026) |
Offices by state and county (3)
District of Columbia (1 office)
- District of Columbia (1): 1432 U St Nw, Washington 20009 (main office)
California (2 offices)
- Los Angeles County (2): 170 N Market St, Inglewood 90301; 4001 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles 90037
An office shows where the lender has a branch, not where it lends or whom it lends to.
What the regulator filing shows
Call Report, 30 Jun 2026A bank holding company files no Call Report of its own. These figures are from its subsidiary bank, City First Bank, National Association (RSSD 2697963, FDIC cert 34352), the only active bank the FDIC lists under this holding company. Source: FFIEC Central Data Repository, bulk Call Report data (public data), report date 30 Jun 2026; year-earlier figures from the 30 Jun 2025 report; downloaded 4 Nov 2026. Schedules RC-C Parts I and II, dollar amounts filed in thousands.
| Total loans and leases | $1.14 billion (as of 30 Jun 2026, net of unearned income) |
|---|---|
| Change over the year | Up 15.2% from $986.9 million on 30 Jun 2025 |
| Total assets | $1.56 billion (as of 30 Jun 2026) |
Loan mix (balances on 30 Jun 2026)
| Loan category | Balance | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Home mortgages (1-4 family, closed-end) | $18.8 million | 1.7% |
| Commercial real estate, construction and multifamily | $852.7 million | 75.0% |
| Commercial and industrial (business) loans | $265.8 million | 23.4% |
| Consumer loans (credit cards, auto, other) | $65,000 | <0.1% |
None reported on the 30 Jun 2026 report: home equity lines of credit; farmland and farm production loans.
Small business loans (original amount $1 million or less, balances on 30 Jun 2026)
| Original loan amount | Secured by business property | Commercial and industrial |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $100,000 | none reported | 3 loans $90,000 |
| $100,001 to $250,000 | 2 loans $428,000 | 3 loans $530,000 |
| $250,001 to $1 million | 30 loans $16.9 million | 12 loans $4.3 million |
| All small business loans | 32 loans $17.3 million | 18 loans $5 million |
Balances are loans outstanding on the report date, not loans made during the year, and they include loans the bank bought. Shares are of gross loans and leases. The change over the year includes loans gained through mergers or bought from others. A category with no balance does not mean the bank never makes that kind of loan; ask the bank.
How it compares
Computed from public data| Measure | This lender | Compared with |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets (Call Report, 30 Jun 2026) | $1.56 billion | Larger than 91% of the 321 other certified banks and bank holding companies nationwide (median $381.4 million). |
| Loans as a share of assets | 73% | Median of the same 321 banks and bank holding companies: 68%. A higher share means more of its balance sheet is lent out. |
| Loans held, 30 Jun 2025 → 30 Jun 2026 | $986.9 million → $1.14 billion (+15%) | Median change of 321 other certified banks and bank holding companies nationwide: +7%. Rank by loans held among these 322: 28 → 28. |
| Business loan rate its website stated (2 Nov 2026) | 6.00% to 9.00% | Prime rate that day: 7.00% (FRED DPRIME), so the lowest stated rate is 1 pts below prime. For an SBA 7(a) variable-rate loan the legal maximum is prime plus 3 to 6.5 points, by loan size. |
How these comparisons were worked out
| Measure | Peer group (this lender left out) | Peers | Where this lender sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call Report total assets | other certified banks and bank holding companies nationwide | 321 | larger than 91% |
| Loans held then vs now | certified banks and bank holding companies nationwide reporting both dates | 321 | rank 28 → 28 of 322 |
“Larger than X%” = the share of the peer group with a smaller value. Ranks count from the largest. Peer groups use the lender's home state when it has at least 5 peers, otherwise the whole country. Full definitions: methodology.
Same loan type, nearby, lower stated rate
Certified CDFIs whose head office is within 50 miles of this one and whose own website states a starting rate at least 0.5 points lower for the same loan type. Consumer loans count only where both lenders state an APR. A starting rate is not an offer: ask each lender what you would pay, and check that it lends where you are (credit unions also require membership).
- Commercial real estate loans (this lender states from 6.00%): Neighborhood Impact Investment Fund, Inc. from 5.00% (37 mi, read 2 Nov 2026)
- Affordable housing development loans (this lender states from 6.00%): Housing Assistance Council from 0.00% (0 mi, read 2 Nov 2026)
For comparison, not an offer and not a rating. Past records show what this lender did, not what you would be offered; your rate depends on the loan and on the lender's review. Peer groups and sources: methodology. Assets and loans: FFIEC and NCUA Call Reports (see the loan-mix section). Prime rate: FRED DPRIME. Stated rates: each lender's own website, read on the date shown.
SBA loans approved
SBA data as of 30 Sep 2026SBA loan data names this holding company's bank, not the holding company. Its subsidiary City First Bank, N.A. is certified separately and shows its SBA 7(a) and 504 approvals for FY2020–FY2026 on its own page.
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) & 504 FOIA loan data, files as of 30 Sep 2026, downloaded 3 Nov 2026. Our counts, cancelled approvals left out. How we match lenders.
Other certified CDFIs in Washington and District of Columbia
- Baba's Cooking School LLC dba EatsPlaceLoan fund · Washington, DCAgriculture / farm loans, Equity / venture investment, Small-business loansVerified
- Building Hope FinanceLoan fund · Washington, DCOfficial list only
- CBA FundLoan fund · Washington, DCOfficial list only
- City First Bank, N.A.Bank or thrift · Washington, DCCommercial real estate loans, Energy / solar / efficiency loans, Affordable housing development loans, SBA-backed loans (7(a)/504/Community Advantage)…Verified
- City First Homes Inc.Loan fund · Washington, DCOfficial list only
- DC Federal Credit UnionCredit union · Washington, DCAuto / vehicle loans, Personal / consumer loansVerified
- DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE STARTER HOMES FUND, LLCLoan fund · Washington, DCOfficial list only
- Housing Assistance CouncilLoan fund · Washington, DCAffordable housing development loansVerified
Work at City First Enterprises Inc? Link to this page
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