Mortgage Originations Soared to $2.1 Trillion in 2001, Inside Mortgage Finance Estimates Boosted by an extremely strong fourth quarter, mortgage originations in 2001 soared to a record-shattering $2.1 trillion level, according to new year-end estimates by Inside Mortgage Finance. Last year’s mortgage production was literally double the volume seen in 2000, and easily beat out the previous record of $1.45 trillion set back in 1998. And while heavy refinance activity and near-record home purchase activity