CITI's mortgage departments are best described as a bull's-eye, with the center "bull's-eye" being the decision making force. Upon your first call to CITI seeking relief you will likely be directed to one of the outer rings. It's tough to keep up with name changes within CITI, but one very common name is the "HAT Team" (Homeowners Assistance Team). If you're speaking with a representative from HAT or any of the "outer ring" departments it's important you understand who your speaking with and how to deal with that particular department. When speaking with these departments try to remember that it's common to receive misinformation and frivolous requests, and always remember that the representative you're speaking with will not make the final decision on your modification.
As your loan moves through the review process you will move closer to the "bull's-eye" and it's likely they will never afford you the opportunity to speak directly with a representative in one of these decision making departments. It can take 30-90 days for your loan to reach the desk of a "decision maker" so it's very important your financial statement (income & expenses) are right on target with CITI's guidelines for loan modification.
It doesn't take long for the "decision makers" to reach a final decision once you have reached this final stage. Your loan will either be denied or approved for loan modification based on how CITI calculates your household income and expenses. If you are approved its important to follow through with any terms and dates set forth in the agreement. It can be very difficult to re-work or adjust a modification agreement once it has been offered so be sure to read any and all agreements carefully.
If you're denied for modification it doesn't mean your completely out of options. People are denied for many reasons and many times it is because the income was presented incorrectly, or the process was handled wrong. With CITI you can update your financial statement unlimited times so at this point it will mean you need to update your finances again and put the loan back into review for modification. This may mean that you go to the back of the line and the entire process begins again or if you catch it in time, you may be able to adjust your financials and not lose your place in the modification review process. It's always important to be calling CITI at least once a week until you have final "dead to rights" proof that your loan modification is permanent.
Understanding the
forces at work behind modifying your loan will certainly give you an advantage when trying to modify your CITI mortgage. It also takes a certain degree of persistence to be successful and never losing sight of the goal. CITI has many option to reduce your mortgage payments and has a long track record of being one of the most stable lending institutions in the country