EXHIBIT 3.1

                    AMERICA FIRST MORTGAGE INVESTMENTS, INC.

                              ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT

         America First Mortgage Investments, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the
"Corporation"), having its principal office at 399 Park Avenue, 36th Floor, New
York, New York 10022, hereby certifies to the State Department of Assessments
and Taxation of Maryland that:

         FIRST: The charter of the Corporation is hereby amended so that Article
Second will now read as follows:

                  SECOND: The name of the corporation (which is hereinafter
                  called the "Corporation") is: MFA Mortgage Investments, Inc.

         SECOND: The amendment does not increase the authorized stock of the
Corporation.

         THIRD: The foregoing amendment to the Charter of the Corporation has
been approved by the entire Board of Directors of the Corporation in accordance
with Section 2-605 of the Maryland General Corporation Law and no stock entitled
to vote on the matter is outstanding or subscribed for as of the date hereof.

         FOURTH: These Articles of Amendment shall become effective on August
13, 2002.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused these presents to be
signed in its name and on its behalf by its Chief Executive Officer and
witnessed by its Secretary on August 5, 2002.


WITNESS:                               AMERICA FIRST MORTGAGE INVESTMENTS, INC.

/s/ RONALD FREYDBERG                   /s/ STEWART ZIMMERMAN
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Ronald Freydberg                       Stewart Zimmerman
Secretary                              President and Chief Executive Officer


         THE UNDERSIGNED, the President and Chief Executive Officer of AMERICA
FIRST MORTGAGE INVESTMENTS, INC., who executed on behalf of the Corporation the
foregoing Articles of Amendment of which this certificate is made a part, hereby
acknowledges in the name and on behalf of said Corporation the foregoing
Articles of Amendment to be the corporate act of said Corporation and hereby
certifies that to the best of his knowledge, information and belief the matters
and facts set forth therein with respect to the authorization and approval
thereof are true in all material respects under the penalties of perjury.

                                       /s/ STEWART ZIMMERMAN
                                       ---------------------
                                       Stewart Zimmerman
                                       President and Chief Executive Officer