The mortgage business was a strong contributor to the most profitable year ever recorded by the thrift industry, with new production gaining ground and a welcome positive result in the mortgage servicing business. Institutions regulated by the Office of Thrift Supervision reported $656.17 billion of new single-family mortgage originations last year, the second highest level ever recorded by the industry. That was up 8.8 percent from the prior year, slightly better than the estimated 6.6… [Two data tables included]