New data released by federal banking regulators confirm that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac played significantly quieter roles in the secondary mortgage market in 2004 than they had in the previous year – at least in terms of loan purchases. According to reports filed by most mortgage lenders under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, sales of loans to Fannie Mae plummeted by 55 percent from 2003 to 2004, with a total of $500.87 billion of…