Season 1 curriculum
Paid trackGuideline Decoder12 min · Janice

Lesson 1 · Decision-tree workshop

Read a Guideline Like an AE

Teach members to turn a guideline, overlay, matrix note, AUS condition, or investor answer into a clean decision tree.

Scenario

A member finds three different answers: an agency guide, an investor overlay, and an AUS condition. They need to know which source controls the next move.

Learner Outcome

The member can classify the source, scope, date, channel, decision, missing facts, and owner before asking for help.

Skool summary

Guidelines are not vibes. Learn the source-to-decision habit: source, date, channel, scope, missing facts, and owner.

1

Source first

Name the source before arguing the rule: agency guide, investor overlay, rate-sheet note, product matrix, AUS finding, condition text, internal policy, or AE/underwriter answer. A source without date and channel is only half useful.

2

Scope the rule

Ask what the rule applies to: product, occupancy, transaction type, property type, documentation path, state, channel, investor, delivery, or timing. Many bad guideline fights happen because the member is using the right sentence in the wrong scope.

3

Decision labels

Force the answer into one label: eligible, ineligible, eligible with conditions, agency-eligible but not saleable here, missing facts, or unclear. If unclear, name the fact or source needed next.

Homework

  • Take one published matrix item and turn it into a decision tree.
  • Highlight the missing fact that would change the answer.
  • Write the AE question without asking them to approve the file from a paragraph.