American Home Files Shelf Registration

American Home Mortgage Investment, Melville, N.Y., has filed a universal shelf registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the issuance of up to $500 million in equity and debt securities.Michael Strauss, chairman and CEO, AHMI, said in a statement released by the real estate investment trust that "the purpose of this shelf registration statement is to provide American Home with additional financial liquidity and flexibility to access the capital markets on a timely and cost effective basis. Once the registration statement is effective, depending on market conditions, we will have the ability to periodically raise capital for financing mortgage portfolio investments, increasing the size of our lending operations and for other general corporate purposes." The registration was not yet effective as of the morning of Dec. 24, according to the REIT.