Hospitality News & Insights

• NMLS Review, Fraud Monitor, Margin Mgt. Tools; Mortgage Products Shifting... Progressive's "Uppayment"? June 17, 2026
  Here in Honolulu, as it is in places like Florida and New York, the condo market and HOA fees are of paramount importance, as are the affordability impact of special assessments. Even though the inventory of houses for sale has steadily increased in many areas, some people want more. One idea being bantered about is […]
• What Are Bonds Waiting For? June 17, 2026
  So far today, we've seen some war-related headlines that feel like they should have gotten at least a mild response (Trump saying MOU isn't final and could go back to dropping bombs) and a Retail Sales report that speaks to ongoing economic expansion at a faster-than-expected pace. Both of those things argue for something other […]
• Decent Gains, But Some Signs of Resistance June 16, 2026
  Decent Gains, But Some Signs of Resistance Bonds improved overnight at the start of European trading and made additional gains in concert with lower oil prices during the domestic session. Notably, the gains met resistance at 4.42%--a resistance level that's been on our radar since the last bounce a few weeks ago. Technical levels certainly don't […]
• Mortgage Rates Lowest Since May 14th June 16, 2026
  Today's top tier 30yr fixed rate was 6.54% for the average lender. You'd have to go back to May 14th's reading of 6.52% to see anything lower. The latest improvement follows another moderate drop in oil prices and bond yields as global markets digest the U.S./Iran peace deal. There's still some risk that the deal […]
• Stronger Overnight as Europe Trades Peace June 16, 2026
  European markets definitely got in on the peace deal action yesterday, but they didn't trade it nearly as aggressively as US markets.  Why bring this up? There was a fairly obvious shift toward lower oil prices and bond yields overnight, and the most obvious suspect was simply the opening bell for European markets. While obvious, […]
• AI Products; Fair Lending, Deportations, and Service Animals; AI Governance; Pennymac's AI Path June 16, 2026
  Sure, we have a Fed meeting, but the Fed doesn’t set mortgage rates. Will they all head off on vacation after this week? Perhaps. Given the increase in the “out of office” replies I am seeing, and children in airports, summer vacation is in full swing. (Apparently families will change their spending habits to accommodate […]
• Gradual Selling Leaves Bonds Only Slightly Stronger. June 15, 2026
  Gradual Selling Leaves Bonds Only Slightly Stronger. With both sides signing the peace memo, the market was immediately willing to react in the overnight session, but that reaction fell short of what we might expect for an official peace deal. This is a bond market problem more than an Iran war problem. Case in point, […]