EXHIBIT 31

         CERTIFICATION OF THE PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE AND FINANCIAL OFFICER
            PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

     I,  Lowell  S.  Dansker, as the principal executive and principal financial
officer  of  Intervest  Bancshares Corporation and Subsidiaries (the "Company"),
certify,  that:

1.   I  have  reviewed  this report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ending
     June  30,  2004  of  the  Company;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of
     a  material  fact  or  omit  to state a material fact necessary to make the
     statements  made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
     were  made,  not  misleading  with  respect  to  the period covered by this
     report;

3.   Based  on  my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and other financial
     information  included  in  this  report,  fairly  present  in  all material
     respects  the  financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
     the Company as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.   I  am  responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
     procedures  (as  defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for
     the  Company  and  I  have:

     (a)  Designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,  or caused such
          disclosure  controls  and  procedures  to  be  designed  under  my
          supervision,  to  ensure  that  material  information  relating to the
          Company,  including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to me
          by  others  within  those  entities, particularly during the period in
          which  this  report  is  being  prepared;

     (b)  Evaluated  the  effectiveness of the Company's disclosure controls and
          procedures  and  presented  in  this  report  my conclusions about the
          effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end
          of  the  period  covered  by this report based on such evaluation; and

     (b)  Disclosed  in this report any change in the Company's internal control
          over  financial  reporting  that  occurred  during  the Company's most
          recent  quarter  that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely
          to  materially  affect,  the Company's internal control over financial
          reporting;  and

5.   I  have  disclosed,  based on my most recent evaluation of internal control
     over financial reporting, to the Company's auditors and the Audit Committee
     of  the  Company's  Board  of  Directors:

     (a)  all  significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
          operation  of  the internal control over financial reporting which are
          reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company's ability to record,
          process,  summarize  and  report  financial  information;  and

     (b)  any  fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
          employees  who  have  a  significant  role  in  the Company's internal
          control  over  financial  reporting.


          /s/  Lowell  S.  Dansker
          ------------------------
          Lowell S. Dansker, Vice Chairman, President and Treasurer
          (Principal Executive and Financial Officer)
          August 12, 2004


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