First Federal Banc of the Southwest, Inc.
                          300 North Pennsylvania Avenue
                            Roswell, New Mexico 88201
                            Telephone: (505) 622-6201
                            Facsimile: (505) 627-2411


April 6, 2005

VIA FACSIMILE AND EDGAR
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Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20549

 Re: First Federal Banc of the Southwest, Inc. (Registration Number 333-120729)
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Ladies and Gentlemen:

     In connection  with the  acceleration  request by First Federal Banc of the
Southwest,  Inc., a Delaware  corporation  (the  "Company"),  the Company hereby
acknowledges that:

     (i)  should the  Commission  or the staff,  acting  pursuant  to  delegated
          authority,  declare the filing  effective,  it does not  foreclose the
          Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing;

     (ii) the  action  of  the  Commission  or the  staff,  acting  pursuant  to
          delegated  authority,  in  declaring  the filing  effective,  does not
          relieve the Company from its full  responsibility for the adequacy and
          accuracy of the disclosure in the filing; and

     (iii)the Company may not assert this action as a defense in any  proceeding
          initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities
          laws of the United States.


                                              Sincerely,

                                              /s/ George A. Rosenbaum, Jr.

                                              George A. Rosenbaum, Jr.
                                              Executive Vice President and Chief
                                              Financial Officer