Countrywide Posts 121 Percent Earnings Surge in Fourth Quarter - 2004-01-28
Countrywide Financial Corp. reported Tuesday that fourth-quarter earnings jumped 121 percent as the company's broad portfolio of businesses helped offset a cooling in the refinance market.

The company also reported that full-year earnings had nearly tripled as interest rates, which were below 6 percent for most of the year, fueled a record number of refinancings for the mortgage industry and enticed buyers into the residential real estate market.
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Western New Yorkers Who Missed Earlier Bandwagon Rush to Mortgage Lenders - 2004-01-28
Temperatures may be cold, but a mini mortgage refinancing boom is warming up the mortgage business in Western New York, created by the end of the holidays and a surprise drop in interest rates.

Local banks and other lenders say they're seeing business increases of between 20 and 50 percent from a month ago, catching them by surprise coming out of the normally dull holiday season.
Read the full story at Miami Herald