Receives $50 Million Debtor-in-Possession Financing to Facilitate
the Chapter 11 Process
Engages Kroll Zolfo Cooper, Highly Experienced Management
Professionals In Bankruptcy Situations
MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 6, 2007--American Home
Mortgage Investment Corp. (NYSE: AHM) today reported that its Board of
Directors, after carefully assessing the sudden adverse impact on the
Company's liquidity and business from the extraordinary disruptions
now occurring in the secondary mortgage and real estate markets, has
authorized management to seek protection for the Company through the
bankruptcy process in order to best preserve the value of the
Company's assets. Accordingly, American Home Mortgage Investment
Corp., together with certain of its subsidiaries, has today filed a
voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy
Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Under
the protection of Chapter 11, American Home will have the time and
opportunity to achieve the best possible value for the creditors of
its mortgage based assets and related operations, as well as an
orderly wind down of the Company.
American Home ceased taking mortgage applications on August 1,
2007 and separated all production employees on August 3, 2007. The
Company is currently maintaining its thrift and servicing businesses.
In conjunction with the filing, WL Ross & Co. LLC through its
fund, WLR Recovery Fund III, L.P., has agreed to provide American Home
up to $50 million in debtor in possession (DIP) financing, subject to
court approval. The DIP financing is expected to provide American Home
with funding to facilitate the Chapter 11 process.
American Home further announced that its Board has approved and
the Company has retained the services of Kroll Zolfo Cooper, and
specifically its Chairman, Stephen Cooper, a highly experienced
specialist in troubled business situations, to lead the Chapter 11
process.
"It is unfortunate that American Home Mortgage, a company which we
built into a highly successful business, experienced this sudden
reversal of its fortunes due to the unanticipated and rather sudden
deteriorations in the secondary and national real estate markets,"
stated Michael Strauss, American Home's Chief Executive Officer. "The
Chapter 11 process provides American Home the protection and the
opportunity to have the time to make the most prudent decisions to
realize the highest value of our assets for creditors. We now shift
our focus to this objective."
American Home further stated that, since the Company terminated
its mortgage originations business and, while the Chapter 11 process
is intended to help preserve and protect the value of the Company's
assets, it is highly unlikely that these values will be sufficient to
pay its creditors in full, and that it is realistic to conclude that
ultimately there will be no shareholder equity value remaining.
The Company anticipates that the New York Stock Exchange will
commence delisting proceedings with respect to its common and
preferred stock.
Milestone Advisors, LLC are acting as advisors to American Home
and Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP is acting as legal counsel to
the Company with respect to the bankruptcy.
More information about American Home's Chapter 11 case will be
available on its Web site at www.americanhm.com
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" that are
based upon expectations, estimates, forecasts, projections and
assumptions. Any statement in this news release that is not a
statement of historical fact, including, but not limited to, earnings
guidance and forecasts, projections of financial results and loan
origination volume, expected future financial position, dividend plans
or business strategy, and any other statements of plans, expectations,
objectives, estimates and beliefs, is a forward looking statement.
Words such as "look forward," "will," "anticipate," "may," "expect,"
"plan," "believe," "intend," "opportunity," "potential," and similar
words, or the negatives of those words, are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are
difficult to predict, and are not guarantees of future performance. As
a result, actual future events may differ materially from any future
results, performance or achievements expressed in or implied by this
news release. Specific factors that might cause such a difference
include, but are not limited to: American Home's limited operating
history with respect to its portfolio strategy; the potential
fluctuations in American Home's operating results; American Home's
potential need for additional capital; the direction of interest rates
and their subsequent effect on the business of American Home and its
subsidiaries; risks associated with the use of leverage; changes in
federal and state tax laws affecting REITs; federal and state
regulation of mortgage banking; and those risks and uncertainties
discussed in filings made by American Home with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Such forward-looking statements are inherently
uncertain, and stockholders must recognize that actual results may
differ from expectations. American Home does not assume any
responsibility, and expressly disclaims any responsibility, to issue
updates to any forward-looking statements discussed in this news
release, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
CONTACT: American Home Mortgage Investment Corp.
Mary M. Feder, Vice President, Investor Relations
631-622-6469
mary.feder@americanhm.com
SOURCE: American Home Mortgage Investment Corp.