FIRST AMENDMENT
                                     TO THE
                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
                                 BY AND BETWEEN
                    FIRST FEDERAL BANC OF THE SOUTHWEST, INC.
                                       AND
                               AUBREY L. DUNN, JR.

     This First Amendment (the "Amendment") to that certain employment agreement
(the "Company  Employment  Agreement")  by and between First Federal Banc of the
Southwest,  Inc., a Delaware  corporation  (the  "Company"),  with its principal
administrative  office at 300 North  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  Roswell,  New Mexico
88201,  and Aubrey L. Dunn, Jr. (the  "Executive")  is made effective as of this
10th day of October, 2006.

     WHEREAS,  the  Executive  is  currently  employed  as  President  and Chief
Executive Officer of the Company; and

     WHEREAS,  the Board of Directors of the Company has met and has  determined
that it is in the best  interests of the  Executive and the Company to amend the
Company Employment Agreement in accordance with the terms of this Amendment; and

     WHEREAS,  Section  12(b) of the Company  Employment  Agreement  permits the
Company and the Executive to amend the Company Employment Agreement at any time.

     NOW,  THEREFORE,  in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants
and conditions  hereinafter set forth, the Company and Executive hereby agree to
the  following  amendments  to  the  Company  Employment  Agreement,   it  being
understood  and agreed that except to the amendments  specifically  provided for
herein, the remaining terms of the Company Employment  Agreement shall remain in
full force and effect:

     1. Section 4(b)(iii) of the Company Employment Agreement is hereby replaced
in its entirety with the following:

     "(iii)  at the  Company's  expense,  continued  medical,  dental  and  life
insurance  coverage  substantially  identical to the coverage  maintained by the
Company or the Bank for Executive prior to his  termination of employment.  Such
coverage  shall  continue for each of  Executive  and his spouse and shall cease
thirty-six (36) months following the Event of Termination."

     2. A new Section 4(c) is hereby added to the Company Employment  Agreement,
that reads as follows:

     "(c)(i) In the event of a Change in Control of the Bank or the Company, the
independent  accountants of the Company shall  determine if an excess  parachute
payment  (as defined in Section  4999 of the Code)  exists.  Such  determination
shall be made after taking any reductions  permitted pursuant to Section 280G of
the Code and the regulations  thereunder.  Any amount determined to be an excess
parachute  payment after taking into account such reductions  shall be hereafter

referred to as the "Initial  Excess  Parachute  Payment." As soon as practicable
after a Change  in  Control,  the  Initial  Excess  Parachute  Payment  shall be
determined. For purposes of this determination, Executive shall be deemed to pay
federal  income  taxes  at the  highest  marginal  rate of  federal  income  tax
(including,  but not limited to, the Alternative Minimum Tax under Code Sections
55-59,  if  applicable)  and state and local income tax, if  applicable,  at the
highest  marginal  rate of  taxation in the state and  locality  of  Executive's
residence on the date such payment is payable,  net of the maximum  reduction in
the federal income taxes which could be obtained from any available deduction of
such state and local taxes.  Any  determination  by the independent  accountants
shall be binding on the Company and  Executive.  Within five (5) days after such
determination,   the  Company  shall  pay   Executive,   subject  to  applicable
withholding  requirements  under applicable state or federal law an amount equal
to:

     (A) twenty (20) percent of the Initial  Excess  Parachute  Payment (or such
other amount equal to the tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code), and

     (B)  such  additional  amount  (tax  allowance)  as  may  be  necessary  to
compensate  Executive  for the payment by Executive of state and federal  income
and excise  taxes on the payment  provided  under Clause (A) and on any payments
under this Clause (B). In computing such tax  allowance,  the payment to be made
under Clause (A) shall be multiplied by the "gross up percentage"  ("GUP").  The
GUP shall be determined as follows:

                                       Tax Rate
                              GUP = ---------------
                                      1- Tax Rate

The Tax Rate for  purposes of  computing  the GUP shall be the highest  marginal
federal  and  state  income  and  employment-related  tax  rate,  including  any
applicable  excise tax rate,  applicable  to  Executive in the year in which the
payment under Clause (A) is made.

     (ii) Notwithstanding the foregoing,  if it shall subsequently be determined
in a final judicial determination or a final administrative  settlement to which
Executive  is a party  that the excess  parachute  payment as defined in Section
4999 of the Code,  reduced as described  above,  is  different  from the Initial
Excess Parachute  Payment (such different amount being hereafter  referred to as
the  "Determinative  Excess Parachute  Payment") then the Company's  independent
accountants shall determine the amount (the "Adjustment  Amount") Executive must
pay to the  Company  or the  Company  must  pay to  Executive  in  order  to put
Executive (or the Company, as the case may be) in the same position as Executive
(or the  Company,  as the case may be)  would  have been if the  Initial  Excess
Parachute Payment had been equal to the Determinative  Excess Parachute Payment.
In determining the Adjustment  Amount,  the independent  accountants  shall take
into account any and all taxes (including any penalties and interest) paid by or
for Executive or refunded to Executive or for  Executive's  benefit.  As soon as
practicable  after the  Adjustment  Amount has been so  determined,  the Company
shall pay the  Adjustment  Amount to  Executive  or  Executive  shall  repay the
Adjustment  Amount  to the  Company,  as the case may be.  The  purpose  of this
paragraph is to assure that (i) Executive is not reimbursed  more for the golden
parachute  excise tax than is  necessary  to make him  whole,  and (ii) if it is
subsequently  determined that additional  golden parachute excise tax is owed by
him, additional reimbursement payments will be made to him to make him whole for
the additional excise tax.

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     (iii) In each calendar year that  Executive  receives  payments or benefits
under this Agreement  and/or a Company or Bank sponsored  employee benefit plan,
Executive  shall  report  on his state  and  federal  income  tax  returns  such
information  as is consistent  with the  determination  made by the  independent
accountants of the Company as described  above.  The Company shall indemnify and
hold Executive harmless from any and all losses,  costs and expenses  (including
without limitation,  reasonable attorney's fees, interest,  fines and penalties)
that Executive  incurs as a result of so reporting such  information.  Executive
shall promptly notify the Company in writing whenever  Executive receives notice
of the  institution  of a  judicial  or  administrative  proceeding,  formal  or
informal,  in which the federal tax treatment  under Section 4999 of the Code of
any  amount  paid or  payable  under this  Section  is being  reviewed  or is in
dispute.  The Company  shall  assume  control at its expense  over all legal and
accounting  matters  pertaining  to such  federal tax  treatment  (except to the
extent  necessary or  appropriate  for Executive to resolve any such  proceeding
with respect to any matter unrelated to amounts paid or payable pursuant to this
contract).  Executive  shall  cooperate  fully  with  the  Company  in any  such
proceeding.  Executive  shall not enter into any  compromise  or  settlement  or
otherwise  prejudice  any rights the  Company may have in  connection  therewith
without prior consent of the Company.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Amendment to be executed on
its behalf by its duly authorized officers, and Executive has set his hand as of
the date first written above.

                                       EXECUTIVE




Dated:   October 10, 2006              By: /s/ Aubrey L. Dunn, Jr.
         ------------------------         --------------------------------------
                                          Aubrey L. Dunn, Jr.



                                       FIRST FEDERAL BANC
                                       OF THE SOUTWEST INC.




Dated:   October 10, 2006              By:/s/ Edward K. David
         ------------------------         --------------------------------------
                                          Edward K. David, Chairman of the Board





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