The Barrent Group, formed in 2008 by Richard Barrent and the late Richard Levitt to break down the mystery behind complicated mortgages, their investors and applicants, has been acquired by American Mortgage Consultants Inc., according to a release. AMC said it has acquired Barrent Group’s operations center in Urbandale and 50 of its employees, with plans to add another 150 employees within the next year as it expands operations into the Midwest. AMC also is a mortgage due diligence firm with operations in New York, Tampa, Fla., Denver, and suburbs of Chicago and Detroit. In 2014, Barrent told Business Record columnist Dave Elbert that his business would have a short shelf life, primarily because firms such as his would clear up messy mortgages in time. “The transaction with AMC was a good fit for TBG as it will allow us to fulfill existing client commitments while also giving our employees the opportunity to join the leading provider of due diligence and other services to the residential mortgage industry,” Barrent said in a statement.