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Note to the teacher:
For this two-part discussion activity, you will need authentic real estate material such as the classified ads in the local newspaper or a free real estate brochure such as those found at large grocery or convenience stores. During your discussions of real estate property and how it is advertised, you will help your students “translate” real estate abbreviations and jargon, and you will encourage students to become savvy housing consumers.

 
Tools for Teachers

Activity: Playing with the Real Estate Ads

Dulany Alexander, Operation Bootstrap, Lynn, MA

During three lessons, we used a weekly real estate flier. In the first lesson student teams were assigned a fictionalized individual or family with particular housing needs and charged with finding them a house that met their requirements and was in their price range.

As a follow-up, we translated real estate abbreviations and euphemisms such as “needs a little TLC” and “handyman special.” Students asked about the term “de-leaded,” which led to a discussing about the hazards of lead paint. We discussed the reasons why one Lynn realtor lists his Lynn properties as being “near Salem,” “near Peabody,” or “close to the water, near Swampscott” rather than “in Lynn,” bringing a critical awareness to the reading of housing advertisements.

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