American Equity Mortgage Continues Growth In Direct Lending

(Fort Lauderdale, Florida - March 1, 2010) American Equity Mortgage (AEM) has announced the opening of a new branch office, located in the Fort Lauderdale area. The new office is a part of the company's direct lending division which focuses primarily on home purchase transactions.

The Fort Lauderdale branch, which will be led by Andres Gutierrez, will be the tenth branch opened in the past year. AEM has seen tremendous growth while many other companies in the mortgage and banking industry are shrinking or folding.

Deanna Daughhetee, president and chief executive officer of AEM, believes that the company's commitment to integrity and impeccable customer service has been one of the biggest factors in the company's success.

"It is our goal to continue to bring our expertise to more markets to help even more customers get to a better place in 2010," Daughhetee said.

"At AEM, we understand the unique challenges that homebuyers face, especially in this challenging market."

About American Equity Mortgage
American Equity Mortgage, one of the nation's leading mortgage lenders, operates 31 branches in 25 markets across the country. Headquartered in St. Louis, AEM has more than 17 years of integrity, leadership, strength and stability that have led to numerous awards, including multiple Consumers' Choice Awards and the American Business Award for Best Overall Company. American Equity Mortgage is committed to helping others get to a better place and this belief carries into its social responsibility and community outreach efforts. For more information, visit www.americanequity.com.