American Home Buys WaMu Loan Offices

American Home Mortgage Investment Corp., Melville, N.Y., has agreed to acquire loan offices in 18 states from Seattle-based Washington Mutual that had previously been slated for closure.About 500 employees are currently supporting the loan offices being purchased by American Home in Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. American Home will assume Washington Mutual's lease obligations and will purchase certain fixed assets in the acquired offices. American Home said it is working to hire WaMu employees who work in the offices, and that group will report to Chris Dallas, who will become a senior vice president of American Home. Former Washington Mutual employees Jim Lowery and Deborah Doll, who like Mr. Dallas are former WaMu employees, are also leading the transition effort. American Home can be found online at http://www.americanhm.com.