A recent article in the Baycoast City Times states that the days of large backyards have disappeared and that larger properties are in short supply. The journalist writes that the Baycoast region is the perfect place for those wishing to find houses on larger lots and for property developers to have a greater number of options for subdivision. This article is based on a report by Baycoast City Real Estate Agents (BCREA) that the mean lot size of recent properties sold was 1175 square metres. The journalist has interpreted this to imply that 50% of properties are equal to or bigger than 1175 square metres. The journalist also claims that this is even more exciting because larger lot sizes always mean higher house prices.

(a) Using the BCREA dataset provided on the student website (BCREA.xls), construct a box-andwhisker plot to verify how representative this mean lot size is and verify the journalist’s claims about lot sizes in the Baycoast region. Write a short report explaining how to interpret different summary measures of central tendency and how the journalist may have misinterpreted the original summary measure.

(b) Use an appropriate measure of linear association to determine whether house prices and lot sizes are related. Interpret this measure to determine whether it supports the journalist’s claims.

(c) Which other factors in the BCREA dataset could also be associated with higher house prices? Pick one of these factors and see whether the sample data in the BCREA dataset support your suspicions.