1. What is home equity?
Home equity is the difference between the current value of the home and the total amount owed on the home. For example if a house is worth $400,000 and there is a mortgage of $300,000 the home equity is $100,000. ($400,000 value - $300,000 owed = $100,000 home equity)
2. How is an Eastern FlexEquity® account different from other equity products?
At most banks you must choose either a revolving line of credit OR a fixed-rate loan. With a fixed-rate loan, you receive all your funds when you obtain your loan and make monthly payments of a fixed amount until the loan has been paid off. An equity line is a revolving account with a credit limit established by the bank, and you can use and repay your line as needed. Unlike with a loan, the minimum monthly payment on an equity line can be as little as the interest owed on the outstanding balance. With Eastern Bank's FlexEquity® account, you decide how you want to use your line and repay what you have borrowed.
3. What is the interest rate for an Eastern FlexEquity® account?
The Eastern FlexEquity® account revolving line has a variable interest rate that can change monthly. Each fixed-rate loan associated with the account has a rate equal to an Index plus a Margin. Specific information about rates and pricing can be found in the “Important Facts About Our Home Equity Lines."
4. Will I need a home appraisal?
Generally an appraisal is required for most requests, however lower loan amounts and/or strong equity positions may allow the use of tax assessments or automated appraisals to determine property value.
5. Are there any fees for the Eastern FlexEquity® account?
Yes, there is a $350 early cancellation fee if you close your account within two years of opening it. If you simply pay off your balance (revolving and/or fixed loans) and leave your account open, there is no cancellation fee. There is also a $50 annual participation fee that is waived if you have an Eastern Premier Checking account.
6. When can I use my Eastern FlexEquity® account?
Once your credit application has been approved (which is often in just a few days), you can complete your loan at any of our banking offices. (All property owners and borrowers must sign the documents.) Because an Eastern FlexEquity® account is secured by a mortgage on your residence, a three-day right to cancel is required, and then you can draw on your line as often as you like through the draw period up to your credit limit. You decide when and whether to change the entire balance or a portion of your balance into a fixed-rate loan.
7. How do I access the funds from my Eastern FlexEquity® line?
Simply use one of the checks that you receive when you open your Eastern FlexEquity® account. Or sign up to access your account through Eastern Online Banking, where you can view all your accounts as well as make payments and transfers.
8. How will I know how much I have available on my revolving line and how much is in my fixed-rate loans?
You will receive a monthly statement for your Eastern FlexEquity® account that contains details on each portion of your account – the revolving line of credit and any fixed-rate loans. The transactions for each portion of your account, including advances, payments, and interest rate, will be itemized on this combined statement so you can keep track of exactly how much you owe and how much you still have available on your line.
For example: You open a $100,000 Eastern FlexEquity® account and draw $25,000 from your line with your equity checks. You then ask to fix $15,000 of that in a fixed-rate Loan. Your Eastern FlexEquity® revolving line will show a $10,000 balance and $75,000 available. Your fixed-rate loan will show a $15,000 balance.
9. How do I make payments to my line or loan(s)?
Each month you will receive a convenient Eastern FlexEquity® account statement. If your payments are set up for autopay, they will be made automatically and you won’t receive additional billing notices.
If you do NOT authorize automatic payments, simply use the bill from your monthly statement to make the payment due on your revolving line and the separate billing notices you receive for each fixed-rate loan.
If you use a bill pay service or pay your accounts on-line, you must set up each portion of your account separately, including the complete account number and note number for each portion.
10. Can I link my Eastern FlexEquity® account with my Eastern Premier Checking account for balance purposes?
Yes, equity line and loan balances count toward your qualifying Eastern Premier balances. And with an Eastern Premier Checking account, the $50 annual participation fee for your Eastern Flex Equity® account is waived.
11. What if I have another line or second mortgage at another bank?
In most cases we will pay off that line or loan from the proceeds of your new Eastern FlexEquity®. We will obtain and process the payoff. If you receive a “discharge” document from the bank we paid off, it should have instructions regarding how to record that document. When you pay and close an Eastern Bank Equity account, we also issue a “discharge” that you are responsible for recording with the appropriate registry of deeds.