In addition to loans, another primary earning asset is our overall securities portfolio, which decreased in size from December 31, 2021 to September 30, 2022. Debt securities available-for-sale amounted to $386,569,000 as of September 30, 2022, a decrease of $51,347,000 from year-end 2021. The decrease in debt securities available-for-sale is mainly due to a $50,924,000 decrease in the market value of the portfolio as a result of the current interest rate environment and $29,444,000 in principal paydowns on debt securities, offset by the deployment of $38,349,000 in cash to purchase debt securities, along with other portfolio activity.
Interest-bearing deposits in other banks decreased as of September 30, 2022, to $1,803,000 from $51,738,000 at year-end 2021 due to decreased cash held at the Federal Reserve Bank. Time deposits with other banks were $0 at September 30, 2022 and $247,000 at December 31, 2021 due to the maturity of the one remaining time deposit.
LOANS
Total loans increased to $845,675,000 as of September 30, 2022 as compared to $752,841,000 as of December 31, 2021. The table on page 21 provides data relating to the composition of the Company’s loan portfolio on the dates indicated. Total loans increased by $92,834,000 or 12.3%.
Steady demand for borrowing by businesses accounted for the 12.3% increase in the loan portfolio from December 31, 2021 to September 30, 2022. Overall, the Commercial and Industrial portfolio (which includes tax-free commercial and industrial loans) increased $3,329,000 or 4.0% from $82,526,000 at December 31, 2021 to $85,855,000 at September 30, 2022. The increase in the Commercial and Industrial portfolio during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was mainly attributable to the portion of the Commercial and Industrial portfolio excluding SBA PPP loans which increased $8,098,000 during the nine months ended September 30, 2022, mainly resulting from $15,100,000 in new loan originations for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and an increase in utilization of existing Commercial and Industrial lines of credit of $3,361,000, offset by loan payoffs of $5,054,000 and regular principal payments and other typical fluctuations in the Commercial and Industrial portfolio during the nine months ended September 30, 2022. This was offset by a reduction of $4,769,000 in the portion of the Commercial and Industrial portfolio attributable to SBA PPP loans, the balance of which decreased from $4,894,000 at December 31, 2021 to $125,000 at September 30, 2022, as a result of loan forgiveness. The Commercial Real Estate portfolio (which includes tax-free commercial real estate loans) increased $78,414,000 or 15.0% from $521,654,000 at December 31, 2021 to $600,068,000 at September 30, 2022. The increase is mainly attributable to new loan originations of $137,509,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, offset by loan payoffs of $52,118,000, offset by a decrease in utilization of existing Commercial Real Estate lines of credit of $591,000 and regular principal payments and other typical amortization in the Commercial Real Estate portfolio during the nine months ended September 30, 2022. Residential Real Estate loans increased $10,941,000 or 7.6% from $143,383,000 at December 31, 2021 to $154,324,000 at September 30, 2022. The increase was mainly the result of $26,129,000 in new loan originations and an increase in utilization of existing Residential Real Estate (Home Equity) lines of credit of $2,255,000, offset by net loans sold of $2,719,000, loan payoffs of $12,821,000 (of which $4,154,000 was refinanced with the Bank during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 with the new refinanced loan balances included in the new loan origination total), and regular principal payments and other typical amortization in the Residential Real Estate portfolio during the nine months ended September 30, 2022. Net loans sold for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 consisted of total loans sold during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 of $4,463,000, offset with loans opened and sold in the same quarter during the first three quarters of 2022 which amounted to $1,744,000. The Company continues to originate and sell certain long-term fixed rate residential mortgage loans, which conform to secondary market requirements, when the market pricing is favorable. The Company derives ongoing income from the servicing of mortgages sold in the secondary market. The Company continues its efforts to lend to creditworthy borrowers.Management believes that the loan portfolio is well diversified. The total commercial portfolio was $685,923,000 at September 30, 2022. Of total loans, $600,068,000 or 71.0% were secured by commercial real estate, primarily lessors of residential buildings and dwellings and lessors of non-residential buildings. The Company continues to monitor these portfolios.
Overall, the portfolio risk profile as measured by loan grade is considered low risk, as $822,498,000 or 97.4% of gross loans are graded Pass; $895,000 or 0.1% are graded Special Mention; $21,102,000 or 2.5% are graded Substandard; and $0 are graded Doubtful. The rating is intended to represent the best assessment of risk available at a given point in time, based upon a review of the borrower’s financial statements, credit analysis, payment history with the