Hawaiian Airlines is expanding service from Los Angeles to both Lihue and Kahului for the holiday season.

The carrier, which currently is operating four weekly flights between Los Angeles and Lihue, will operate a fifth flight Dec. 18 through Jan. 4. Once the seasonal service ends, Hawaiian will continue operating three weekly flights beginning Jan. 8, marking the first time direct service between Los Angeles and Lihue has been offered outside of the airline’s seasonal schedule.

In addition, Hawaiian will add a flight four times a week between Los Angeles and Kahului beginning Dec. 17 that will supplement the daily service that the airline currently offers between those two cities.

Average mortgage rates drop to 3.21 percent from year’s high

WASHINGTON » Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates fell this week, retreating from highs for the year and amplifying the incentive for prospective homebuyers.

Mortgage giant Freddie Mac said Thursday the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage declined to 4.04 percent from 4.09 percent a week earlier. The rate on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages slipped to 3.21 percent from 3.25 percent.

As in recent weeks, mortgage rates followed the yield on the key 10-year Treasury note, which declined. Bond yields for Treasurys were pushed lower by a rise in bond prices. The yield on the 10-year note closed at 2.27 percent Thursday.

With mortgage rates at low levels and the economic recovery in its sixth year, home buying has recently surged as more buyers have flooded into the real estate market. Data issued Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors showed that Americans bought homes in June at the fastest rate in more than eight years, pushing prices to record highs as buyer demand has eclipsed the availability of houses on the market.

The median home price has climbed 6.5 percent over the past 12 months to $236,400, the highest level — unadjusted for inflation — reported by the Realtors.

On The Move

» Suemori Ota & Hara has announced the following formation of their new law firm:

— Jay T. Suemori is the managing partner. He has been practicing law in Hawaii for more than 30 years and recently co-founded Suemori Ota & Hara, which is a boutique law firm that specializes in personal injury litigation, commercial litigation, estate planning, employment litigation and business transactions. He was previously the sole shareholder of Suemori and Associates.

— William N. Ota is a partner. He co-founded Suemori Ota & Hara after serving as a partner for Marr Jones & Wang for eight years. Ota has excelled in helping clients on numerous legal matters, including personal injury law, complex commercial litigation, medical malpractice and employment litigation.

— Leighton M. Hara is a partner. He was previously a partner for Marr Jones & Wang for six years. Hara specializes in litigation and will continue to represent his clients in personal injury, commercial, employment litigation and other related matters.

» Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty has announced that Realtor associate Jeff Koch has joined the company’s Kalaha office. He previously worked in the local construction industry and was a compliance specialist/investigator for the U.S. Department of labor.

Ship Ahoy!

Today’s ship arrivals and departures: