MIAMI—Will the commercial real estate financing climate change in 2014? How will Apollo Bank respond to the climate? Will the bank make additional acquisitions?

We caught up with Eddy Arriola, chairman of Apollo, to get his answers in part two of our exclusive interview. You can still read part one, Apollo Bank Flexing its CRE Lending Muscle.

GlobeSt.com: How do you foresee the commercial real estate financing climate will be in 2014?

Arriola: The reality is that Miami is now widely viewed as a global destination for tourism as well as business and investment. International investors have been aggressive in Miami's real estate market, so there's a good chance that this level activity will normalize over the next two years.

Some of these investors may decide to place debt on their properties while interest rates remain low once the market's prime investment opportunities are depleted. This will create opportunities for community banks with money to lend.

GlobeSt.com: What type of loans and rates are you planning to offer to commercial borrowers?

Arriola: We are lending across the board, specifically in the greater Miami area and our focus is always on working with borrowers who are experienced and have a good understanding of the local market. We continue to experience a competitive rate environment, making it a good time for borrowers to secure financing, as we do think rates could go up by the end of 2015. Our target lending range is in the neighborhood of $1 million to $6 million and following the acquisition, that number is expected to grow to $12 million.

GlobeSt.com: How has the aggressive expansion of national financial institutions in South Florida impacted the landscape for community bank players, and do you foresee more M&A activity taking place next year?

Arriola: We expect to see significant consolidation within our banking industry over the next 24 months, as national and international players look to grow their footprint through acquisitions. Florida in particular is in the cross-hairs of major banks because our economy is improving, there is a huge amount of capital and wealth pouring in, and our state demographics are favorable over the long-term. All of this bodes well for Apollo Bank, as many local and regional businesses prefer to bank with a locally-owned and operated institution.