Homebuilder Stocks Lower on Rate Worries - 2004-04-02
Stocks of many homebuilding companies dropped Friday on news that the U.S. jobs market in March was stronger than expected. Investors, believing that the jobs growth suggests a full-fledged economic recovery, worried that interest rates will rise soon.

Ironically, said analyst Wilson, Friday's jobs report said the homebuilding and mortgage lending sectors contributed strongly to jobs growth last month.
Read the full story at AP via Yahoo! News

Dip in mortgage loan production hampers Columbia Bancorp - 2004-04-02
Columbia Bancorp of The Dalles revealed its first-quarter earnings will fall short of analysts' expectations due to slower mortgage loan production, higher loan loss provisions and higher overhead expenses.

Columbia (Nasdaq: CBBO), the holding company for Columbia River Bank, said first-quarter net income is expected to be in the range of 21 to 23 cents per share. Analysts had been expecting earnings of around 30 cents per share.
Read the full story at The Business Journal Portland