Correspondent lenders and mortgage brokers took slightly less severe declines in origination volume in early 2017 than was seen in the retail channel, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance ranking and analysis. All three production channels were down sharply as total first-lien mortgage originations tumbled 33.6 percent from the fourth quarter of 2016. The retail segment saw the biggest decline, dropping 34.6 percent to an estimated $221.0 billion. Retail production typically features...[Includes four data tables]