Most – but not all – major mortgage lenders reported sharply lower origination volume during the first three months of 2006, making it one of the slowest quarters in recent memory. According to a new Inside Mortgage Finance analysis and ranking, an estimated $670.0 billion of home mortgages were originated during the first quarter. That was down 15.2 percent from the fourth quarter of last year, and well below the average quarterly volume of $804.0… [Two data tables included]