Since Monday of this week, four mortgage-related merger deals have been unveiled, setting in motion what could turn out to be a long awaited mini-boom in activity. But can it last? So far, all of the transactions entail small- to medium-sized lenders, with most facilitated through “asset purchases” as opposed to stock sales. The one exception is the announcement by the publicly traded EverBank Financial that it’s currently engaged in takeover talks with what it called a “well-respected financial services company.” EverBank, which ranked 40th in originations for the first half of 2016 according to a tally byInside Mortgage Finance, is...[Includes one data table]