Now that you have learned something about the Stock Market it is time to learn about real estate. During this unit you will be building and selling homes.
Get out your own piece of paper and write your name, date, and period on it.
What is a lot? http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/lot.html Find the definition that talks about a piece of land.
Each lot has a challenge it is your job to write down what the challenge is. This paper is due at the end of the period. When you are done turn in you work and play the game.
Describe lot #111
Describe lot #112
Describe lot #113
Describe lot #121
Describe lot #122
Describe lot #123
Describe lot #231
Describe lot #232
Finish these sentences.
Lot 111 There are smart...
Lot 112 Students who do a...
Lot 113 Careful positioning...
Lot 121 To fix the problem...
Lot 122 If they do their research...
Lot 123 Students need to take...
Lot 231 In order to obtain...
Lot 232 One solution...
Lot 341 Students who build...
Lot 342 Students can also...
Building Homes of Our Own Teachers' Guide
Lot #111 (a predominately senior citizen neighborhood)
This lot is located in a neighborhood composed almost entirely senior citizens. It’s an urban infill with no parking. They can find out if they are watching and listening that one-story dwellings are more desirable.
Census data in the library reveals the make-up of the area, and there is some information on preferences—such as single-story, traditional-style homes. If they attend a community meeting, they will learn that the neighborhood is almost entirely seniors. Even if they decide to build a two-story home, there are smart design choices students can make (putting the essentials such as master bedroom, kitchen, bath, living space, etc. on the first floor) they can make.
Lot #112 (urban brownfield lot being sold very cheaply)
A former house on this lot was heated by oil. The house has been demolished, but the oil tank was abandoned and has leaked. This lot is for sale for about a third of what other lots cost. Players will be attracted by the price, and they may not realize why the lot is so inexpensive or, they may not realize how expensive and time-consuming it can be to clean up such a site, as required by law.
Players can discover the lot’s history and the likelihood that it is contaminated by exploring the lot (oil spill and fumes), visiting the planning office or having the soil tested by a soil scientist in the Experts area. If they don’t find out earlier, they will know when they are turned down for a permit.
Although clean-up is expensive, students who do a little more research will find out that there is a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant to fund brownfield reclamation.
Lot #113 (urban infill lot with old infrastructure that is near the site of a future freeway off-ramp)
The lot is visually attractive and centrally located. It is near the freeway for homeowners who have to commute to work. And it has an old infrastructure that was originally done in the 1930s by the Work Projects Administration. Repair and modernization of the utilities is complicated by the fact that they are buried under the streets, requiring more time and money. They will find out they need to consult a civil engineer.
Players who consult the planning office will learn that a new off-ramp from the freeway will lead traffic directly by the lot, contributing to the noise and creating congestion. Careful positioning of the house footprint on the lot and additional landscaping to hide the freeway from view can make it more valuable to prospective buyers. When they reach the construction phase, students can choose to add soundproofing and position certain rooms, such as bedrooms, away from the ramp.
The suburban lot for sale was part of an old farm that was subdivided. It is a beautiful lot, but there is no water/sewer hook-up. Students can learn about the lot (before or after purchasing it) by paying a visit to the planning office. After purchase, they can attend a community meeting to hear neighbor comments. To fix the problem, students can hire a Civil Engineer to install septic tank and drill for a well or extend the county water and sewer lines out to their lot.
Lot #122 (lot at the base of a hill with drainage problems)
This lot is very attractive visually—nestled in a small valley formed at the base of hills. What unwary players may not realize is that, when it rains, the water falling on the hills runs down into the small valley.
If they do their research, students will discover an engineer can help them build a drainage system that will channel the rainwater away from the house. However, this plan also will threaten some of the local wildlife. At this point, they can move ahead or purchase another plan that takes the wildlife into consideration.
Lot #123 (suburban lot whose runoff empties into an impaired river)
The storm water from this lot empties into the Mud River, which has just been added to the Impaired Waters List. Students need to take steps to prevent further contamination of the river by runoff.
Students can learn of the problem and its implications through research in the planning office. They can find a letter from a government agency notifying them of the river’s impaired status and requiring them to take precautions.
Lot # 231 (trees on the lot are favored by an endangered bat)
On this lot, there are many white oak trees (Quercus alba). The Indiana bat, or Myotis sodalis, an endangered species, is known to use those trees for habitat during the summer, fall, and spring, when it isn’t hibernating in caves or mines. The bats like to roost under the flaking and exfoliating bark and return to the site repeatedly. In order to obtain a permit to build, students will need to obtain a permit from the FWS. This involves adapting a conservation plan.
Lot #232 (recreation pond negatively impacted by construction)
Neighbors use the pond near this lot for recreation—fishing and swimming. Construction on this lot risks negatively impacting the pond, as the neighbors well know. Only last year, construction near a small lake in the area devastated the fish population and made that pond unpleasant and unsafe for swimming.
Students who are alert to visual cues will learn right away that the pond is used by the locals. Students who attend a community meeting (before or after buying it) will learn about the neighbors’ attachment to the pond near the lot and their concern about possible pollution. One solution is to hire an Architect/land Planner to set up buffer zones.
Lot #233 (lot of archaeological importance)
This lot is on a small hill and contains some Native American burial grounds. Students who learn about the issue early on can hire an archaeologist to evaluate the lot. Students who don’t discover the cultural importance of their lot until after excavating can choose to do nothing and proceed with their building. One of the workers will inform the city and the preservation society. Construction will stop for site evaluation, and the player will be fined.
Lot #341 (lot with complaints from neighbors about blocking ocean views)
This lot is not ocean-front property, but, situated in the foothills near the coast, it has a great view of the ocean and is elevated from the surrounding ground, making it less susceptible to flooding. The people who own the house behind the lot are concerned that the new house will block their view of the ocean. Students who build without heeding advice will later have to deal with neighbors’ complaints. They will get a lower score at the end.
Lot #342 (coastline lot on the ocean with erosion problems)
Although erosion is really an issue for almost all coastal property, in this game the challenge will be tied to this one specific lot on the ocean.
Players who research erosion in the lab or read about it in the library will realize that their lot runs the risk of severe erosion. Players who do not know about the danger of erosion and who take no measures will have difficulty selling their house.
Students can also hire an expert to develop erosion management techniques. The most effective mitigation technique is building as far away from the ocean as possible on the lot.