4. Fair Value Measurements

The Company follows the “Fair Value Measurement and Disclosures” topic, which establishes a framework for measuring fair value in U.S. GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. This standard applies whenever other standards require, or permit, assets or liabilities to be measured at fair value but does not expand the use of fair value in any new circumstances. In this standard, the FASB clarifies the principle that fair value should be based on the assumptions market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability. In support of this principle, this standard establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the information used to develop those assumptions. The fair value hierarchy is as follows:

Level 1 inputs – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the entity has the ability to access at the measurement date.

Level 2 inputs - Inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These might include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, such as interest rates and yield curves that are observable at commonly quoted intervals.

Level 3 inputs - Unobservable inputs for determining the fair values of assets or liabilities that reflect an entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the assets or liabilities.

Management monitors the availability of observable market data to assess the appropriate classification of financial instruments within the fair value hierarchy. Changes in economic conditions or model-based valuation techniques may require the transfer of financial instruments from one fair value level to another. In such instances, the transfer is reported at the beginning of the reporting period.

Management evaluates the significance of transfers between levels based upon the nature of the financial instrument and size of the transfer relative to total assets, total liabilities or total earnings.

Securities classified as available-for-sale are reported at fair value on a recurring basis utilizing Level 1, 2 and 3 inputs. For these securities, the Company obtains fair value measurements from an independent pricing service. The fair value measurements consider observable data that may include dealer quotes, market spreads, cash flows, the U.S. Treasury yield curve, live trading levels, trade execution data, market consensus prepayment speeds, credit information and the bond's terms and conditions, among other things.

The Company does not record all loans & leases at fair value on a recurring basis. However, from time to time, a loan or lease is considered impaired and an allowance for credit losses is established. Once a loan or lease is identified as individually impaired, management measures impairment in accordance with the “Receivables” topic. The fair value of impaired loans & leases is estimated using one of several methods, including collateral value when the loan & lease is collateral dependent, market value of similar debt, enterprise value, and discounted cash flows. Those impaired loans & leases not requiring an allowance represent loans & leases for which the fair value of the expected repayments or collateral exceed the recorded investments in such loans & leases. Impaired loans & leases where an allowance is established based on the fair value of collateral require classification in the fair value hierarchy. When the fair value of the collateral is based on an observable market price or a current appraised value which uses observable data, the Company records the impaired loan or lease as nonrecurring Level 2. When an appraised value is not available or management determines the fair value of the collateral is further impaired below the appraised value or the appraised value contains a significant unobservable assumption, and there is no observable market price, the Company records the impaired loan or lease as nonrecurring Level 3.

Other Real Estate (“ORE”) is reported at fair value on a non-recurring basis. When the fair value of the ORE is based on an observable market price or a current appraised value which uses observable data, the Company records the ORE as nonrecurring Level 2. Otherwise, the Company records the ORE as nonrecurring Level 3. Other Real Estate is reported in Interest Receivable and Other Assets on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The following tables present information about the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis and indicate the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques utilized by the Company to determine such fair value for the periods indicated.

			Fair Value Measurements At September 30, 2014, Using
	Fair Value		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets		Other Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs
(in thousands)	Total		(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)
Available-for-Sale Securities:
Government Agency & Government-Sponsored Entities	$	13,361	$	13,361	$	-	$	-
Mortgage Backed Securities		322,680		39,566		283,114		-
Other		485		175		310		-
Total Assets Measured at Fair Value On a Recurring Basis	$	336,526	$	53,102	$	283,424	$	-

			Fair Value Measurements At December 31, 2013, Using
	Fair Value		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets		Other Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs
(in thousands)	Total		(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)
Available-for-Sale Securities:
Government Agency & Government-Sponsored Entities	$	28,436	$	23,394	$	5,042	$	-
Mortgage Backed Securities		324,929		-		324,929		-
Corporate Securities		49,380		8,191		41,189		-
Other		1,894		1,584		310		-
Total Assets Measured at Fair Value On a Recurring Basis	$	404,639	$	33,169	$	371,470	$	-

			Fair Value Measurements At September 30, 2013, Using
	Fair Value		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets		Other Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs
(in thousands)	Total		(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)
Available-for-Sale Securities:
Government Agency & Government-Sponsored Entities	$	28,643	$	23,587	$	5,056	$	-
Mortgage Backed Securities		342,077		-		342,077		-
Corporate Securities		49,761		8,171		41,590		-
Other		1,284		974		310		-
Total Assets Measured at Fair Value On a Recurring Basis	$	421,765	$	32,732	$	389,033	$	-

Fair values for Level 2 available-for-sale investment securities are based on quoted market prices for similar securities. During the three and nine-months ended September 30, 2014, there were no transfers in or out of level 1, 2, or 3. During the three and nine-months ended September 30, 2013, $5.6 million were transferred out of level 3 available-for-sale investment securities into held-to-maturity investment securities. The following table presents changes in level 3 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis.

	Three Months Ended September 30,					Nine Months Ended September 30,
(in thousands)	2014		2013			2014		2013
Balance at Beginning of Period	$	-	$	5,612		$	-	$	5,665
Total Realized and Unrealized Gains/(Losses) Included in Income		-		-			-		-
Total Unrealized Gains/(Losses) Included in Other Comprehensive Income		-		-			-		-
Purchase of Securities		-		-			-		-
Sales, Maturities, and Calls of Securities		-		(31	)		-		(84	)
Net Transfers out of Available for Sale Securities		-		(5,581	)		-		(5,581	)
Balance at End of Period	$	-	$	-		$	-	$	-

Available-for-sale investments securities categorized as Level 3 assets primarily consist of obligations of states and political subdivisions. These bonds were issued by local housing authorities and have no active market. These bonds are carried at historical cost, which approximates fair value, unless economic conditions for the municipality changes to a degree requiring a valuation adjustment. Due to the difficulty in valuing the senior housing authority bonds and the fact that the Company owns 100% of these bonds that were issued by a relationship banking customer, we transferred these bonds out of the available-for-sale category and into the held-to-maturity category as the Company intends to hold these bonds until maturity.

The following tables present information about the Company’s impaired loans & leases and other real estate, classes of assets or liabilities that the Company carries at fair value on a non-recurring basis, and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques utilized by the Company to determine such fair value for the periods indicated. Not all impaired loans & leases are carried at fair value. Impaired loans & leases are only included in the following tables when their fair value is based upon an appraisal of the collateral, and if that appraisal results in a partial charge-off or the establishment of a specific reserve.

			Fair Value Measurements At September 30, 2014, Using
	Fair Value		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets		Other Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs
(in thousands)	Total		(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)
Impaired Loans
Commercial Real Estate	$	92	$	-	$	-	$	92
Residential 1st Mortgages		526		-		-		526
Home Equity Lines and Loans		763		-		-		763
Agricultural		363		-		-		363
Commercial		3,836		-		-		3,836
Total Impaired Loans		5,580		-		-		5,580
Other Real Estate
Real Estate Construction		2,441		-		-		2,441
Agricultural Real Estate		858		-		-		858
Total Other Real Estate		3,299		-		-		3,299
Total Assets Measured at Fair Value On a Non-Recurring Basis	$	8,879	$	-	$	-	$	8,879

			Fair Value Measurements At December 31, 2013, Using
	Fair Value		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets		Other Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs
(in thousands)	Total		(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)
Impaired Loans
Residential 1st Mortgages	$	614	$	-	$	-	$	614
Home Equity Lines and Loans		551		-		-		551
Agricultural		366		-		-		366
Commercial		820		-		-		820
Total Impaired Loans		2,351		-		-		2,351
Other Real Estate
Real Estate Construction		2,399		-		-		2,399
Agricultural Real Estate		2,212		-		-		2,212
Total Other Real Estate		4,611		-		-		4,611
Total Assets Measured at Fair Value On a Non-Recurring Basis	$	6,962	$	-	$	-	$	6,962

			Fair Value Measurements At September 30, 2013, Using
	Fair Value		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets		Other Observable Inputs		Significant Unobservable Inputs
(in thousands)	Total		(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)
Impaired Loans
Residential 1st Mortgages	$	477	$	-	$	-	$	477
Home Equity Lines and Loans		293		-		-		293
Agricultural		366		-		-		366
Commercial		228		-		-		228
Total Impaired Loans		1,364		-		-		1,364
Other Real Estate
Real Estate Construction		2,398		-		-		2,398
Agricultural Real Estate		1,268		-		-		1,268
Total Other Real Estate		3,666		-		-		3,666
Total Assets Measured at Fair Value On a Non-Recurring Basis	$	5,030	$	-	$	-	$	5,030

The Company’s property appraisals are primarily based on the sales comparison approach and the income approach methodologies, which consider recent sales of comparable properties, including their income generating characteristics, and then make adjustments to reflect the general assumptions that a market participant would make when analyzing the property for purchase. These adjustments may increase or decrease an appraised value and can vary significantly depending on the location, physical characteristics and income producing potential of each property. Additionally, the quality and volume of market information available at the time of the appraisal can vary from period to period and cause significant changes to the nature and magnitude of comparable sale adjustments.

Given these variations, comparable sale adjustments are generally not a reliable indicator for how fair value will increase or decrease from period to period. Under certain circumstances, management discounts are applied based on specific characteristics of an individual property.

The following table presents quantitative information about Level 3 fair value measurements for financial instruments measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis at September 30, 2014:

(in thousands)	Fair Value		Valuation Technique	Unobservable Inputs	Range, Weighted Avg.
Impaired Loans
Commercial Real Estate	$	92	Sales Comparison Approach	Adjustment for Difference Between Comparable Sales		1% -1%, 1	%
Residential 1st Mortgages	$	526	Sales Comparison Approach	Adjustment for Difference Between Comparable Sales		11% -24%, 17	%
Home Equity Lines and Loans	$	763	Sales Comparison Approach	Adjustment for Difference Between Comparable Sales		1% - 14%, 11	%
Agricultural	$	343	Income Approach	Capitalization Rate		14% - 14%, 14	%
Agricultural	$	20	Sales Comparison Approach	Adjustment for Difference Between Comparable Sales		1% -1%, 1	%
Commercial	$	3,836	Sales Comparison Approach	Adjustment for Difference Between Comparable Sales		1% - 13%, 4	%

Other Real Estate
Real Estate Construction	$	2,441	Sales Comparison Approach	Adjustment for Difference Between Comparable Sales		10% - 10%, 10	%
Agricultural Real Estate	$	858	Sales Comparison Approach	Adjustment for Difference Between Comparable Sales		10% - 10%, 10	%