Wealth management revenue increased $127 thousand, or 4.7%, year-over-year due to the more favorable market conditions that existed in the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to the prior year comparable period.
Non-interest income from the sales of investments amounted to $1.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, an increase of $1.1 million from the prior year period, while income from the sales of SBA 7(a) loans increased $671 thousand, or 58.3%, from the prior year period, to $1.8 million. Other fee income was up $504 thousand or 42.7% for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, from the nine months ended September 30, 2019 due to $255 thousand in swap fee income recorded in the current year period, combined with increases of $153 thousand and $201 thousand in MLSS fee income, and mortgage fee income, respectively, as loan closing activity increased period-over-period.
Total non-interest expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was $61.2 million, up $22.2 million or 56.9%, from the nine months ended September 30, 2019. The increase is largely attributable to the variable expenses from loan originations overall, particularly mortgage commissions. Total salaries and employee benefits expense was $46.5 million, an increase of $20.7 million or 80.4%, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2019. Of this increase, $18.9 million relates to the mortgage division. Full-time equivalent employees, particularly in the mortgage division, increased year-over-year. As noted above, in the first quarter of 2020, we expanded our mortgage division into Maryland with the hiring of nearly 90 individuals year to date.
Loan expenses increased by $628 thousand or 133.1% for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, reflecting the higher levels of commercial and consumer loan originations during the current year. Advertising expenses increased by $227 thousand or 12.8% during the nine months ended September 30, 2020, due mainly to an increase in marketing related costs from the mortgage division. Professional fees increased $118 thousand or 5.9%, compared to the prior year period due to a decrease in certain audit related fees and external legal costs, offset by an increase in consulting costs for bank-wide projects.
Balance Sheet Summary
As of September 30, 2020, total assets were $1.8 billion compared with $1.2 billion as of December 31, 2019 and $1.1 billion as of September 30, 2019. Total assets increased $608.6 million, or 52.9%, from December 31, 2019 and $631.7 million, or 56.1%, from September 30, 2019, primarily due to strong loan growth.
Total loans, excluding mortgage loans held-for-sale, grew $342.1 million, or 35.5%, to $1.3 billion as of September 30, 2020, from $964.7 million as of December 31, 2019 and $371.0 million or 39.6% from $935.9 million as of September 30, 2019. The increase in loans for both periods is attributable largely to the $260 million in PPP loans granted to borrowers during the nine months ended September 30, 2020. There was also growth in several commercial categories as we continue to grow our presence in the Philadelphia market area. Commercial real estate loans increased $103.8 million, or 27.8% from December 31, 2019, and $113.3 million, or 31.2% from September 30, 2019. Commercial loans decreased $14.4 million, or 7.2%, from December 31, 2019, and $7.6 million, or 3.9% from September 30, 2019. Small business loans increased $22.8 million, or 104.4% from December 31, 2019, and $29.9 million, or 203.3% from September 30, 2019. Residential mortgage loans held for sale increased $191.5 million, or 568.0%, to $225.2 million as of September 30, 2020 from $33.7 million at December 31, 2019 and $176.5 million from $48.6 million as of September 30, 2019. The increase in mortgage originations is primarily the result of the expansion of our mortgage division into Maryland as well as the increase in refinance activity throughout all areas of our mortgage division.
Deposits were $1.2 billion as of September 30, 2020, up $357.9 million, or 42.0%, from December 31, 2019, and up $350.6 million, or 40.8%, from September 30, 2019. Non-interest bearing deposits increased $54.4 million, or 39.0%, from December 31, 2019 and increased $64.5 million, or 49.9%, from September 30, 2019. Interest-bearing checking accounts increased $124.2 million, or 131.6%, from December 31, 2019, and increased $138.0 million or 171.3% from September 30, 2019. Money market accounts/savings accounts increased $185.6 million, or 60.8% since December 31, 2019 and $163.4 million, or 49.9%, since September 30, 2019. Increases in core deposits were driven from PPP loan customers as well as new business and municipal relationships. Certificates of deposit decreased $6.4 million, or 2.0%, from December 31, 2019 and decreased $15.5 million, or 4.8%, from September 30, 2019.