OriginationNews notes while some firms earned more in the first quarter of this year than all of last, disbelievers expect originations to fall 20 percent this year. But National Mortgage News and the Quarterly Data Report estimate production will be between 1.3 and 1.4 trillion dollars, comparable to 2011. The article cites improving employment statistics, more home buyers looking, and more HARP 2.0 applications.

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