Exhibit 4.8


                                ESCROW AGREEMENT

         This Escrow Agreement (this "Agreement") is made and entered into as of
the __ day of ______,  1998, by and among  McKINNON & COMPANY,  INC., a Virginia
corporation (the "Underwriter"),  GUARANTY CAPITAL TRUST I, a statutory business
trust  organized  under  Delaware  law  (the  "Trust")  and  GUARANTY  FINANCIAL
CORPORATION, a Virginia corporation (the "Company" and, together with the Trust,
the "Offerors"),  and WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY,  a Delaware banking  corporation
(the "Escrow Agent").

                                R E C I T A L S :

         A.     The  Offerors  propose  to  sell  up to $6.9  million  of  $____
Convertible Preferred Securities or liquidation amount of $25.00 per convertible
preferred  security (the  "Preferred  Securities"),  to the public at a price of
$25.00 per Preferred Security (the "Offering").

         B.     The Offerors have retained the Underwriter, as selling agent for
the Offerors on a best efforts  basis,  to sell the Preferred  Securities in the
Offering, and the Underwriter has agreed to sell the Preferred Securities as the
Offerors'  selling  agent  on a best  efforts  basis  in the  Offering,  and the
Underwriter  has  agreed  to  serve  in  this  capacity,   the  terms  of  which
relationship are set forth in an Underwriting Agreement between the Offerors and
the  Underwriter,  the  form of which  is  attached  hereto  as  Exhibit  A (the
"Underwriting Agreement").

         C.     The   Underwriter   will  enter  into   agreements   with  other
brokers/dealers (the "Selected Dealers" or individually,  the "Selected Dealer")
to assist in the sale of the Preferred Securities.

         D.     The Offerors have agreed to pay the  Underwriter a commission of
up to $_______.

         E.     The  Escrow  Agent is  willing  to hold the  proceeds  in escrow
pursuant to this Agreement.

         NOW,  THEREFORE,  in  consideration  of the  foregoing  and the  mutual
covenants and  agreements  contained in this  Agreement,  it is hereby agreed as
follows:

                1.     Establishment  of the Escrow Account.  On or prior to the
date  of   commencement   of  the  Offering,   the  parties  shall  establish  a
non-interest-bearing  account with the Escrow Agent,  which escrow account shall
be entitled  "Guaranty Capital Trust I, Escrow Account" (the "Escrow  Account").
The Underwriter  shall make, and shall instruct  purchasers and Selected Dealers
to make payment for the Preferred  Securities  by wire  transfer of  immediately
available funds as follows:

                Fed. Funds to be wired to:
                Wilmington Trust Company
                Wilmington, Delaware
                ABA No. 031100092
                for credit to the account of Guaranty Capital Trust I-Escrow
                Account No. _______
                Attention:  Terri Tavani, Corporate Trust Administration
                Telephone No. (302) 651-8558
                Fax No. (302) 651-8882



         The  Offerors  will make  payment of the  Underwriter's  commission  as
provided above.

                2.     Deposits into the Escrow Account. Funds received from the
Underwriter,  purchasers  and Selected  Dealers shall be deposited in the Escrow
Account.  All monies so deposited in the Escrow Account are hereinafter referred
to as the "Escrow  Amount." The Escrow  Account shall be a  non-interest-bearing
account.

                3.     Escrow  Period.  The escrow period (the "Escrow  Period")
shall begin on _______, 1998 and shall terminate at 5:00 p.m. on ________, 1998,
or such other time as shall be mutually  agreed upon in writing by the  parties.
During the Escrow Period, the Offerors acknowledge that they are not entitled to
any funds  received  into escrow and no amounts  deposited  by the Escrow  Agent
shall become property of the Offerors or any other entity,  or be subject to the
debts of the Offerors or any other entity.

                4.     Delivery of Escrow Account Proceeds.  At the Closing Time
as defined in the  Underwriting  Agreement,  the  Underwriter and Offerors shall
provide the Escrow Agent with written  directions  for the  distribution  of the
Escrow  Account,  and the Escrow Agent agrees to distribute  the Escrow  Account
pursuant to such  written  directions.  If no direction is received on or before
5:00  p.m.,  ________,  1998  (unless  such time  shall be  extended  by written
agreement of the Underwriter,  Offerors and the Escrow Agent),  the Escrow Agent
shall return the Escrow  Amount to the parties that made  payments to the Escrow
Account and this Agreement shall be of no further force or effect.

                5.     Closing  Date.  The  "Closing  Time"  shall be that  date
specified in the Underwriting Agreement.

                6.     Duties  and  Rights of the Escrow  Agent.  The  foregoing
agreements  and  obligations  of the Escrow  Agent are subject to the  following
provisions:

                       (a)     The Escrow Agent's  duties  hereunder are limited
solely to the  safekeeping of the Escrow Account in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement. It is agreed that the Escrow Agent shall have no other duties or
obligations hereunder except as expressly set forth herein, shall be responsible
only for the performance of such duties and  obligations,  shall not be required
to take any action otherwise than in accordance with the terms hereof, shall not
be required to perform any acts that may violate any applicable  laws, and shall
not be liable or  responsible  in any manner  for any loss or damage  arising by
reason of any act or omission to act hereunder or in connection  with any of the
transactions  contemplated  hereby,  including,  but not limited to, any loss or
damage that may occur by reason of forgery,  false representation,  the exercise
of its discretion in any particular  manner or for any other reason,  except any
loss or damage arising by reason of its gross negligence or willful misconduct.

                       (b)     The  Escrow  Agent  may rely  upon,  and shall be
protected in acting or  refraining  from acting upon,  any written  instructions
furnished  to it  hereunder  and in good faith  believed  by it to be genuine or
presented by the proper  party or parties,  and the Escrow Agent may assume that
any  person  or  entity  purporting  to give  instructions  in  connection  with
provisions hereof has been duly authorized to do so. The Escrow Agent may at any
time request  written  instructions  from the  Underwriter and the Offerors with
respect to the  interpretation of this Agreement or of any action to be taken or
suffered or not taken hereunder.



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                       (c)     In the  event  that  the  Escrow  Agent  shall be
uncertain about the  interpretation of this Escrow Agreement or about its rights
or obligations hereunder or the propriety of any action contemplated  hereunder,
or if the Escrow  Agent shall  receive  instructions  with respect to the Escrow
Account  that are in its opinion in conflict  with any other  instructions  with
respect to the Escrow  Account  that it has  received  or in  conflict  with any
provision  of this  Agreement,  (i) the Escrow Agent  promptly  shall notify the
Underwriter and the Offerors (and any other involved  parties,  if necessary) of
such  uncertainty or inconsistent  instructions,  (ii) the Escrow Agent shall be
entitled to refrain  from taking any action other than to keep safely the Escrow
Account  until  it  shall  be  directed  otherwise  in  writing  signed  by  the
Underwriter and the Offerors (and any other involved  parties,  if necessary) or
by a final order or judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction,  and (iii) if
the Escrow  Agent does not receive a notice  signed by the  Underwriter  and the
Offerors  (and  any  other  involved  parties,  if  necessary)   resolving  such
uncertainty or inconsistent  instructions  within a reasonable  time, the Escrow
Agent shall have the right (but not the obligation) to file suit in interpleader
and obtain an order or judgment from a court of competent jurisdiction requiring
all persons  involved to  interplead  and  litigate in such court their  several
claims and rights among themselves and, upon the conclusion  thereof,  to act in
accordance with the resolution of such litigation.

                7.     Indemnification   and  Fees  of  the  Escrow  Agent.  The
Underwriter  and the Offerors  hereby jointly and severally  agree to indemnify,
defend and save  harmless  the Escrow Agent from and against any and all losses,
expenses (including without limitation, reasonable fees, disbursements and other
expenses of counsel), assessments,  liabilities, claims, damages, actions, suits
or other charges  incurred by or assessed  against the Escrow Agent for anything
done or omitted by it in the performance of its duties hereunder other than as a
result of its  gross  negligence  or  willful  misconduct.  In  addition  to the
foregoing,  the  Underwriter and the Offerors hereby agree that the Escrow Agent
shall deduct from the Escrow  Account prior to  distributing  or delivering  the
Escrow Account in accordance with Section 8 hereof  reasonable  compensation for
the services rendered by the Escrow Agent hereunder.

                8.     Resignation and Replacement of the Escrow Agent.

                       (a)     The  Escrow  Agent  may  resign  at any  time and
thereupon be discharged of its duties and  obligations as escrow agent hereunder
by giving five (5) days' prior written  notice  thereof to the  Underwriter  and
Offerors.  Upon expiration of such five day period,  the Escrow Agent shall take
no further action until the Underwriter and the Offerors have jointly  appointed
a successor  escrow agent.  Upon receipt of written  instructions  signed by the
Underwriter  and the  Offerors,  the Escrow Agent shall  promptly  turn over the
Escrow Account to the successor  escrow agent. The Escrow Agent shall thereafter
have no further duties or obligations hereunder.

                       (b)     The Escrow  Agent may be removed  and  discharged
from its  duties  and  obligations  as escrow  agent  hereunder  upon the mutual
agreement of the  Underwriter  and the Offerors by  delivering a written  notice
executed by the Underwriter and the Offerors of such removal to the Escrow Agent
specifying  the date when such removal  shall be  effective  (but such a removal
shall in no event be effective  prior to the  appointment of a successor  escrow
agent).  In the event of such removal,  the  Underwriter and the Offerors shall,
within thirty (30) days after such notice,  jointly  appoint a successor  escrow
agent and, upon receipt of written  instructions  signed by the  Underwriter and
the Offerors,  the Escrow Agent shall  promptly turn over the Escrow  Account to
such successor  escrow agent.  The Escrow Agent shall thereafter have no further
duties or obligations hereunder.



                                      -3-


                9.     Notices.  It is further agreed as follows:

                       (a)     All notices given  hereunder  will be in writing,
served by  registered  or certified  mail,  return  receipt  requested,  postage
prepaid, or by hand-delivery, to the parties at the following addresses:

                           To the Offerors:

                       Guaranty Capital Trust I
                       Guaranty Financial Corporation
                       1658 State Farm Boulevard
                       Charlottesville, Virginia  22911
                       Attention: ________________

                       To the Underwriter:

                       McKinnon & Company, Inc.
                       1609 First Virginia Building
                       555 Main Street
                       Norfolk, Virginia 23510
                       Attention: William J. McKinnon, Jr.

                       To the Escrow Agent:

                       Wilmington Trust Company
                       1100 North Market Street
                       Wilmington, Delaware 19890
                       Attention: Jack Beeson

                10.    Miscellaneous.

                       (a)     This  Agreement  shall be binding upon,  inure to
the benefit of and be  enforceable  by the parries  hereto and their  respective
successors and assigns.

                       (b)     If any provision of this Agreement  shall be held
invalid  by  any  court  of  competent  jurisdiction,  such  holding  shall  not
invalidate any other provision hereof.

                       (c)     This   Agreement   shall  be   governed   by  the
applicable laws of the State of Delaware.

                       (d)     This  Agreement  may not be  modified  except  in
writing signed by the parties hereto.

                       (e)     All  demands,   notices,   approvals,   consents,
requests  and  other  communications  hereunder  shall be  given  in the  manner
provided in this Agreement.


                                      -4-


         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
executed in their respective names, all as of the date first above written.


                                      McKINNON & COMPANY, INC.



                                      By:
                                         -----------------------------------
                                         William J. McKinnon, Jr.
                                         President


                                      GUARANTY CAPITAL TRUST I



                                      By:___________________________________
                                         Trustee


                                      GUARANTY FINANCIAL CORPORATION



                                      By:___________________________________
                                      
                                      Title:________________________________


                                      WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY



                                      By:___________________________________
                                      
                                      Title:________________________________



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