SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                             CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT
                          TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):     August 24, 2001


                            Community West Bancshares
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             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)



         California                    000-23575                77-0446957
   ----------------------         -------------------    -----------------------
(State or Other Jurisdiction   (Commission File Number)       (IRS Employer
      of Incorporation)                                  Identification Number)


     445 Pine Avenue, Goleta, California,                          93117
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   (Address of Principal Executive Offices)                      (Zip Code)


                                 (805) 692-1862
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              (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)


                                 Not Applicable
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          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)




                                                        Exhibit Index at Page: 2
                                                           Total No. of Pages: 3



ITEM  2.     DISPOSITION  OF  ASSETS


     On  August  17,  2001  Community West Bancshares, completed the sale of its
subsidiary,  Palomar  Community  Bank  to  Centennial  First  Financial Services
(OTCBB:CFFX) for $10.5 million in cash. Community West acquired Palomar's Common
Stock  on  December  14, 1998 by issuing 1,367,542 common shares. On the date of
acquisition  those shares had a market value of $12 million. The acquisition was
accounted  for  using the purchase method of accounting, and resulted in Palomar
booking $6 million in goodwill and other intangible assets. In December of 2000,
Community  West  signed  a  definitive  agreement  to  sell  100%  of Palomar to
Centennial  for  $10.5  million  in  cash and wrote down $2 million of Palomar's
goodwill  which  it  determined to be impaired based on the purchase price. Upon
completion  of the transaction Community West recorded a small gain on the sale.
This  transaction  is  a taxable event and Community West expects to record a $1
million dollar charge for tax liability associated with the sale. As a result of
the  sale, Community West's consolidated capital is expected to increase by $2.6
million.

     Concurrently,  a  portion of the proceeds from the sale was used to repay a
loan  from  Union  Bank  of  California  in  the  amount  of  $5.5  million.


     Attached  hereto  as Exhibit 99.5 and incorporated by reference herein is a
press  release  on  the  sale  of  Palomar  Community  Bank  to Centennial First
Financial  Services.



ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

(c)  Exhibits

The following exhibit is filed as a part of this Current Report on Form 8-K:

Exhibit No.     Description
-----------     -----------------------------------------------------------

    99.5        Press Release dated August 20, 2001 on the Sale of Palomar
                Community  Bank.


                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant  to  the  requirement  of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant  has  duly  caused  this  report  to  be  signed on its behalf by the
undersigned  hereunto  duly  authorized.

Date:   August 24, 2001                    COMMUNITY WEST BANCSHARES

                                              By:    /s/  Lynda  Pullon  Radke
                                                     -------------------------
                                                     Lynda  Pullon  Radke
                                                     Senior Vice President and
                                                     Chief  Financial  Officer