Persistent vigor in the non-conforming mortgage market drove total originations in 2004 to an estimated $2.81 trillion – the second highest annual production level ever – according to a new market analysis and lender ranking by Inside Mortgage Finance. The year ended solidly, with $690.0 billion in mortgage production volume in the fourth quarter, a small 1.5 percent increase from the third quarter. That was also about 7.8 percent better than the fourth quarter of…