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Requirements DocumentVersion: 1.0

Requirements DocumentKCRAR Housing Opportunity Website

Table of Contents

1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................3

1.1 Overview.................................................................................................................3

1.2 Goals and Objectives.............................................................................................3

1.3 Scope.......................................................................................................................4

1.4 Definitions...............................................................................................................4

1.5 Document Conventions.........................................................................................4

1.6 Assumptions...........................................................................................................4

2 GENERAL DESIGN CONSTRAINTS............................................................5

2.1 Product Environment............................................................................................5

2.2 User Characteristics..............................................................................................5

2.3 Mandated Constraints...........................................................................................5

2.4 Potential System Evolution...................................................................................5

3 NONFUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS.........................................................6

3.1 Operational Requirements....................................................................................6

3.2 Performance Requirements..................................................................................6

3.3 Security Requirements..........................................................................................6

3.4 Safety Requirements..............................................................................................6

3.5 Legal Requirements...............................................................................................7

3.6 Other Quality Attributes.......................................................................................7

3.7 Documentation and Training................................................................................7

3.8 External Interface..................................................................................................73.8.1 User Interface...................................................................................................7

Last Modified: 5/19/2023 of 17


3.8.2 Software Interface............................................................................................8

4 SYSTEM FEATURES....................................................................................8

4.1 Feature: KCRAR Housing Opportunity Website Home Page..........................84.1.1 Description and Priority...................................................................................84.1.2 Use Case: Home Page......................................................................................84.1.3 Additional Requirements...............................Error! Bookmark not defined.

4.2 Feature: KCRAR Member Login........................................................................84.2.1 Description and Priority...................................................................................84.2.2 Use Case: Authenticate Member.....................................................................84.2.3 Additional Requirements.................................................................................9

4.3 Feature: Program Search......................................................................................94.3.1 Description and Priority...................................................................................94.3.2 Use Case: Select a search method...................................................................94.3.3 Use Case: Search by criteria............................................................................94.3.4 Use Case: Show all programs........................................................................104.3.5 Use Case: Search for a certified agent...........................................................10

4.4 Feature: Display Home Buyer Assistance Program Information..................104.4.1 Description and Priority.................................................................................104.4.2 Use Case: Display Program Summaries from Criteria Search......................114.4.3 Use Case: Display Details of Homebuyer Assistance Programs...................114.4.4 Use Case: Display result of Search for a certified agent...............................114.4.5 Additional Requirements...............................................................................11

4.5 Feature: Home buying process information display........................................124.5.1 Description and Priority.................................................................................124.5.2 Use Case: Select type of Home Buying Process Information.......................124.5.3 Use Case: Display information related to existing home purchases..............124.5.4 Use Case: Display information related to new construction purchases.........124.5.5 Use Case: Display glossary of real estate terms............................................12

4.6 Feature: Glossary of Real Estate Terms............................................................134.6.1 Description and Priority.................................................................................134.6.2 Use Case: Display a term definition..............................................................13

4.7 Feature: Generic home buying information view............................................134.7.1 Description and Priority.................................................................................134.7.2 Use Case: Display view of static information within generic framework.....13

Authors:Meghan Williams, Regino Mendoza, Elena Mileva



1 Introduction

1.1 OverviewThis document defines the requirements for the Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors (KCRAR) website that is being developed in the spring semester by a group of software engineering students. The document is designed to put forth the requirements in a way that both the team members and clients can understand and agree on. It is also designed to contain enough detail so that the developers and architects in the team can develop comprehensive system architecture from these requirements. Because of this, the detail contained in this document is largely over-arching and technical, and does not include topics such as cost or scheduling, which are addressed in the project plan and other documents.

The KCRAR website is designed for a dual audience and will provide information for both prospective home-buyers and current home owners. It will also have administrative capabilities that allow members of KCRAR to make changes in the data that is displayed to the users.

1.2 Goals and ObjectivesThe main goals of the KCRAR website programming team are the following:

1) Create a searchable interface for the users to view funding sources available in the Kansas City metropolitan area that is also capable of displaying all sources if the search is not used

2) Include a repository of static information that gives a broad overview of the home-buying process. This information should include:

a. A glossary of real estate termsb. Credit and credit scoring informationc. Financing and consumer issuesd. Step-by-step details of the home-buying processe. Environmental information, such as the hazards of lead-based paint and

mold3) Provide a dynamic and searchable listing of certified real estate brokers and

agents that can assist users who decide they want to learn more about purchasing a home.

4) Highlight the role of the customer by providing a detailed “About Us” as well as a listing of programs KCRAR sponsors. These programs may include consumer-education seminars for prospective home-buyers.

5) Provide a guide for new homeowners including the following:a. How to turn on utilitiesb. How to winterize your homec. Home maintenance scheduled. A Guide to homeowner’s insurancee. School districts in the Kansas City areaf. Links to external websites that provide helpful information



1.3 ScopeThis website will be an interactive tool that home buyers in Kansas City can use to find the best lending program for their needs. It will also allow KCRAR members to provide feedback upon working with a lender. It is intended to be a reference tool for both those who hope to buy a home and those who already have and will contain several types of static information that should be helpful to both groups. It is not immediately interactive in terms of adding content. Feedback from members whose buyers have used a specific financing source will be added manually to a database by KCRAR staff. There are no interactive GUIs planned at this time that will allow staff to automatically modify website content, however, this feature may be added if time permits..

1.4 DefinitionsClient- The client is KCRAR and is the one who is commissioning the team to develop the website. This is interchangeable with the word “customer”.

May- This word refers to some optional or desirable functionality that is not a requirement. This word is interchangeable with can.

Member- An active realtor and member of KCRAR

Public - The public refers to the end-user of the website and not a member of KCRAR, unless the member in question is interested in buying a home.

Staff- Employees of KCRAR

Use case- Each use case describes an interaction between the system and an actor (user). It should illustrate one or several of the project goals and may contain variants that determine the outcome of the use case.

User - The user of the website (either public or KCRAR member).

Will- The word will refer to a requirement. This is interchangeable with should and shall.

1.5 Document ConventionsWhile this document is in its draft stages, it may have Microsoft Word comments added to it that reflect uncertainty or a need for input. Portions of the document may be incomplete and will either be highlighted in red or will be marked with the letters “TBD”. Each incomplete item will have an owner. All comments must be removed and all sections of the document completed no later than 24 hours before the due date set by the course instructor. The document will be base-lined once the due date has passed and all changes will then be documented.



1.6 AssumptionsIt is assumed that the client can find a web hosting provider that will support ASP server-side programming, client-side programming, and ODBC data connections for the server database.

It is assumed that the web team will have access to the server containing the code for the project and the MS SQL Server database.

It is assumed that the web team will create the database for the real estate project. After the project is completed and handed over to KCRAR, we assume that KCRAR will be responsible for having one of their employees create all the code changes and the SQL Server database changes to the system.

2 General Design Constraints

2.1 Product EnvironmentThe KCRAR website will be KCRAR’s sole means of providing information on homebuyer assistance programs, but will work in synergy with other informational sites on the web such as Fannie Mae, and will also be an addition to the information the KCRAR staff already distributes to the public. Security is not an important factor to the website as the “member-only” pages have much of the same information as the public pages. The difference is that the member pages have a format that may be confusing to the general public. Therefore, there will only be a single password to the website and it will not be encrypted. The website will link to a relational database through an ODBC connection or some connectionless connecting string.

2.2 User CharacteristicsFor generations, owning a home has been one of the most basic tenets of the American dream. It is something that appeals to a wide variety of people and therefore there is no typical user of the website. For this reason, the website must appeal to all users, from those who have little or no internet experience to those who have vast technical knowledge. The users will run the gamut from low-income to high, and from less than a high-school education to a PhD. Because of this, the website must be understandable to all.

Specifically, there will be three types of users: Public: Potential homebuyers that are in need of assistance programs and other

public information will easily seek information throughout the entire website with minimal typing. They will be able to see this information displayed correctly using any browser that is in public use, i.e. public libraries, schools, etc., or in the privacy of their homes.

Member Realtors: KCRAR member realtors will be able to view the same information as the public but they will also have access to additional detailed program information and a listing of certified agents when they have entered the



website using their user ID and password. The member realtors are not allowed the functionality to enter any new information in the website.

Administrator: The administrator will be able to perform content management functions through a web browser. The data that will be entered into a form that will have a similar look as the public and member forms. This will result in a consistent look throughout the website and its ease of use. No special skills will be needed for this position since the administrator will change the information in the text boxes and just click a button to update, delete, and add any of the information that is needed or not needed.

2.3 Mandated ConstraintsThe website must be designed in ASP because the customer has had difficulty in finding web hosting services for Java technologies.

The database connections should be ODBC connection or some connectionless connecting string rather than JDBC because the website will not be based on Java. Client requested Microsoft technology to be used. This leaves us with ASP, Windows server operating system, IIS, and MS SQL Server database or if SQL Server is not available then MS Access will be used.

2.4 Potential System EvolutionIn the future, the customer hopes to add more dynamic content. This might include member-driven content that the staff of KCRAR can generate by way of a GUI. It might include a GUI that would allow staff of KCRAR to update the database. Further in the future, it may include more ways for the user to interact with the site, including a form that the user can use to contact any of the lenders listed. It may also include a member forum where members can go for support from their peers when using a specific home-buying program on behalf of a buyer or a way for members provide feedback on a specific lender.

3 Nonfunctional RequirementsAlthough the customer has not mandated any nonfunctional requirements, it is important that the website be available to the users when they need it. Therefore, the system will have a requirement to be online from 7am to 9pm M-F and, if this is impossible, the system should be offline for no more than 15 minutes at a time. However, because the team will not be the web host, the onus for fulfilling this requirement is on whichever web host the customer selects. The team recommends to the customer that any maintenance to be performed on the website that will take longer than 15 minutes be performed outside these core hours of peak traffic.

3.1 Operational RequirementsThe physical environment of the user is unpredictable and may be as diverse as the users themselves. Therefore, the website should steer away from functionality that requires the use of animation or sound, as well as plug-ins or anything that requires the installation of special software on the user’s computer.



3.2 Performance RequirementsThe introduction page should be capable of loading within 3 seconds of browser start-up. It may be that the introduction page should be static in order to have a faster load time. The system should be capable of having at least 20 concurrent users without compromising quick operations. The definition of “quick” will depend on the amount of data that is stored and the complexity of the search, but in general no operation should take longer than 8 seconds and 95% of operations should take less than 3.

3.3 Security RequirementsThe security need in the KCRAR website is very low-level. The only reason for security on this website is that some of the information in the members’ section is presented in a manner that may be confusing to a home buyer. There is no classified or private information on the site. Therefore, there will only be a single password to the website and all members will share it. It will not be encrypted and (Secure Sockets Layer) SSL will not be used.

3.4 Safety RequirementsBecause this website is provided to the user via the widely accepted World Wide Web, there are no physical dangers except those common to all computer use, such as eye strain and carpal tunnel syndrome. However, there is a danger to the user’s financial security if the information on the site is not accurate. Particularly, it is very important to screen both the realtors listed and the lending programs to be sure that they are all reputable. This responsibility lies primarily with KCRAR since it is within their field of expertise.

3.5 Legal RequirementsBecause this site neither collects nor displays personal information of any kind, there are very few legal requirements. The key legal requirement is to follow copyright law. If, for example, KCRAR wants to include content from a financial in its site, the appropriate permission will have to be obtained. A smaller legal issue is to exercise caution when posting negative user experiences with specific lending programs. It is important to be sure that KCRAR does not commit a liability in this instance. This would be under the sole domain of KCRAR.

3.6 Other Quality AttributesThe website interface should be compliant with all the latest browser versions that have been released in the past two years. It is also desirable to give access to AOL users and this should be implemented as time permits. The software application should be capable of running on any standard ISP machine implementing a Windows operating system, MS SQL Server database, IIS, and ODBC connection or some connectionless connecting string. The primary text interface should be viewable on a standard browser running on a 200 MHz or better computer with 128 MB of ram.



3.7 Documentation and TrainingThe user interface will be mostly self documenting. This means that the documentation will be split into individual help files that are accessible from the website. Each page of the website will have links to the appropriate help files for that particular page. For example, there will be a page detailing search procedures accessible from the search page. This documentation will also be compiled into one large document for the staff of KCRAR. Since the staff will have access to the secure parts of the website, this large document will include instructions on these parts of the website as well as the public parts.

3.8 External InterfaceMS SQL Server database will be an external interface with the website. The server database could be located on the same server as the code for the website or on a different server for performance reasons. It will be the responsibility of KCRAR to make backups of the information contained in the SQL Server database. We will provide a script to KCRAR that will build and create the database, tables, and views in case they loose their database from some unseen mishap. The script does not contain any information, only the database, tables, and views to start from scratch.

3.8.1 User InterfaceThe user interface of the website will conform to the corporate style of KCRAR. Simplicity should be emphasized in design since many users may not have advanced internet skills. Functionality is also very important as the average user is an adult who is mostly concerned with the accessibility of the information. The site should require no special training and should be intuitive. The measure of simplicity and intuitiveness is that 90% of all users should be able to use the site without consulting the help files. No formal training besides the help files will be offered and 99% of all users should be able to use this site with the help files as their only resource for unanswered questions on navigating the website and performing any of the search features.

3.8.2 Software InterfaceOn the web server where the system is deployed, MS SQL Server, IIS, and Windows operating system for web functionality must be available to make the software work. The database will be accessed through ODBC or some connectionless connecting string in the ASP code.

4 System Features

4.1 Feature: KCRAR Housing Opportunity Website Home Page

4.1.1 Description and Priority

This is the first page public or member realtors see when accessing the system. It is the gateway to all public resources provided by the system.



Cost: lowRisk: lowPriority: high

4.1.2 Use Case: Home Page

Use Case Title: View Home PageActors: Public or KCRAR MemberDescription: This use case begins when a user points his browser to KCRAR Housing

Opportunity Website. The homepage includes a short summary of the purpose of the website and links to the following navigation tabs and sub-menus: “Program Search”, “Home Buying Process”, “Financing”, “Consumer Issues”, “Education”, “About KC Home Center”, “Homeowner Links”, and “KCRAR Member Login”.

4.2 Feature: KCRAR Member Login


This page enables members to login in order to gain access to additional data that will not be available to the public.

Cost: lowRisk: mediumPriority: high

4.2.2 Use Case: Authenticate Member

Use Case Title: Authenticate KCRAR MemberActors: KCRAR MemberDescription: This use case begins when a KCRAR member clicks on the link entitled

“KCRAR Member Login” on the KCRAR Housing Opportunity Website Home Page. An authentication page appears with a password text field and a submit option. If the password is valid, the user will be logged in as a member and have access to the data.

4.2.3 Additional RequirementsA single generic password will be distributed to all KCRAR members. KCRAR will be able to update the password periodically. In the future, a secured individual password system may be developed.



4.3 Feature: Program Search


This feature is the gateway to access all information about homebuyer assistance programs.


4.3.2 Use Case: Select a Search Method

Use Case Title: Select a Search MethodActors: Public or KCRAR MemberDescription: This use case begins when a user points to “Program Search” from the

home page. The options are displayed in a drop-down menu and consist of: “Search by Criteria”, “Show all Programs”, and “Search for a Certified Agent”.

4.3.3 Use Case: Search by Criteria

Use Case Title: Search by CriteriaActors: Public or KCRAR Member Description: This use case begins when a user selects “Search by Criteria” from the

drop-down menu under “Program Search”. The user enters information related to: 1. Location - State (KS and/or MO) - County (drop down list of available counties)2. Personal criteria

- First-time homebuyer (Y/N)- Borrower types (drop down box)- Borrower income- Family size

After the submission of these criteria, a list of matching programs is displayed on the “Display Program Summaries from Criteria Search” page.

4.3.4 Use Case: Show All Programs



Use Case Title: Show All ProgramsActors: Public or KCRAR MemberDescription: This use case begins when a user selects “Show all Programs” from the

drop-down menu under “Program Search”. An index of programs is displayed, organized first by program type and then by program name. The program name is a hyperlink. Clicking on a program brings the user to the “Home buyer Assistance Program Details” page.

4.3.5 Use Case: Search for a Certified Agent

Use Case Title: Search for a Certified AgentActors: Public or KCRAR MemberDescription: This use case begins when a user selects “Search for a Certified Agent”

from the drop-down menu under “Program Search”. The search is based on county, which the user can choose from a drop-down list. After a user selects a county, a list of certified agents with contact information is displayed.

4.4 Feature: Display Home-Buyer-Assistance Program


Home Buyer Assistance Program information is displayed based on database search results.

Cost: highRisk: mediumPriority: high

4.4.2 Use Case: Display Program Summaries from Criteria Search

Use Case Title: Display Program Summaries from Criteria SearchActors: Public or KCRAR MemberDescription: This use case begins after the user has submitted the information needed

for a search by criteria. The names of the matching programs are displayed as hyperlinks. Clicking on a program brings the user to the “Homebuyer Assistance Program Details” page.

4.4.3 Use Case: Display Details of Homebuyer Assistance Programs



Use Case Title: Display details of Homebuyer Assistance ProgramsActors: Public or KCRAR MemberDescription: This use case begins when the user clicks on a specific program either

from the “Show all Programs” or the “Search by Criteria” result pages. The complete summary of the program is provided. The data is displayed in a grid with consistent labels. The information might include a detailed summary of what kind of assistance the program supplies, detailed eligibility requirements, and contact information for the program. A “Back to the Results Page” link is provided to the index or results page.

4.4.4 Use Case: Display Result of Search for a Certified Agent

Use Case Title: Display Result of Search for a Certified AgentActors: Public or KCRAR MemberDescription: This use case begins when a user selects a county from the drop-down

list. A list of realtors that satisfy the criteria will be returned and displayed in grid form. The realtors contact information will also be listed.

4.4.5 Additional RequirementsAn authenticated KCRAR member is able to view the information visible to the public as well as the following:

1) The search results display all program status types. This includes the “suspended” type which is not available to the public.

2) In the complete summary of a program, an “Additional Contact Information” field displays program administrators’ and sponsors’ contact information.

4.5 Feature: Home-Buying-Process Information Display

4.5.1 Description and PriorityA step-by-step guide to the home buying process presented in a series of linked web pages

Cost: mediumRisk: lowPriority: medium

4.5.2 Use Case: Select type of Home-Buying-Process Information

Use Case Title: Select type of Home-Buying-Process Information



Actors: Public or KCRAR MemberDescription: This use case begins when a user points to “Home Buying Process” from

the home page. The options displayed in the form of a drop-down menu are: “Glossary of Terms”, “Existing Home Purchase”, and “New Construction Purchase”.

4.5.3 Use Case: Display Information Related to Existing Home Purchases

Use Case Title: Display Information Related to Existing Home PurchasesActors: Public or KCRAR MemberDescription: This use case begins when the user selects “Existing Home Purchase”

from the drop-down menu under the “Home Buying Process” link. This page contains static information (text) about the process of purchasing a previously-owned home.

4.5.4 Use Case: Display Information Related to New Construction Purchases

Use Case Title: Display Information Related to New Construction PurchasesActors: Public or KCRAR MemberDescription: This use case begins when the user selects “New Construction Purchase”

from the drop-down menu under the “Home Buying Process” link. This page contains static information (text) about the new home construction process.

4.5.5 Use Case: Display Glossary of Real Estate Terms

Use Case Title: Display Glossary of Real-Estate termsActors: Public or KCRAR MemberDescription: This use case begins when the user selects “Glossary of Terms” from the

drop-down menu under the “Home Buying Process” link. This page contains an alphabetic listing of real-estate terms. Each term is a hyperlink.

4.6 Feature: Glossary of Real Estate Terms

4.6.1 Description and PriorityRealty specific terms throughout the site are hyperlinked to a glossary.

Cost: HighRisk: HighPriority: Low



4.6.2 Use Case: Display a Term Definition

Use Case Title: Display a Term DefinitionActors: Public or KCRAR MemberDescription: This use case begins when a user clicks on a hyperlinked real-estate term

from either the “Glossary of Terms” list or any other page of the Housing Opportunity Website. A definition of the term appears in a separate window, which has a “Close” option (button).

4.7 Feature: Generic Home Buying Information View



4.7.2 Use Case: Display View of Static Information within Generic Framework

Use Case Title: Display View of Static Information Within Generic FrameworkActors: Public or Member RealtorDescription: This use case begins when a user clicks on any of the static homebuyer-

information pages such as: “Financing”, “Consumer Issues”, “Education”, “About KC Home Center”, and “Homeowner Links”. A generic page layout accommodates different content for each page. A link back to the home page is present.

4.8 Feature: Administrator Content Management Authentication and Content Management Home Page

4.8.1 Description and PriorityGateway to online administrative functions.

Cost: lowRisk: lowPriority: High

4.8.2 Use Case: Authenticate AdministratorUse Case Title: Authenticate AdministratorActors: AdministratorDescription: This use case begins when the Administrator points a web browser at the

Administrator Content Management Home Page. A password text box is displayed in a form with a submit option. When the user clicks submit, if



the password is valid, the Administrator Content Management Home Page will be displayed.

4.8.3 Use Case: Content Management Home Page

Use Case Title: Content Management Home PageActors: AdministratorDescription: This use case begins when the Administrator is authenticated. A page is

displayed with a menu of web-based content management functionality including Homebuyer Assistance Program Database.

4.9 Feature: Administrator Content Management of Homebuyer Assistance Program Database


Cost: HighRisk: HighPriority: High

4.9.2 Use Case: Program database content management menu

Use Case Title: Program database content management menuActors: AdministratorDescription: This use cases begins when the administrator selects Homebuyer

Assistance Program Database from Administrator homepage. The user can select to 1) Browse Program Records 2) Search for Program Record based on criteria or 3) create new program record.

4.9.3 Use Case: Browse Program Records – Content Management

Use Case Title: Browse Program Records – Content ManagementActors: AdministratorDescription: This use cases begins when the administrator selects Browse Program

Records from the program database content management menu. An index of program summaries is provided in grid form with a selection option associated with each. Selecting a record allows the Administrator to modify or delete that record.



4.9.4 Use Case: Search Program Records by Criteria – Content Management

Use Case Title: Search Program Records by Criteria – Content ManagementActors: AdministratorDescription: This use cases begins when the administrator selects Search for Program

Record based on criteria. A form is provided in which to enter search criteria. Upon submission, an index of program summaries matching the criteria is provided in grid form with a selection option associated with each. Selecting a record allows the Administrator to modify or delete that record..

4.9.5 Use Case: Select operation on selected record

Use Case Title: Select operation on selected program recordActors: AdministratorDescription: This use cases begins when the administrator selects a specific record

from either Search Program Records by Criteria results or Browse Programs. The administrator has the option to Modify or Delete a record .

4.9.6 Use Case: Modify program record

Use Case Title: Modify program recordActors: AdministratorDescription: This use cases begins when the administrator selects to modify a program

record from the Select operator on selected program record page. A form with editable text boxes for each available field in the program record is displayed, filled with the current record. The user may edit these fields and then click submit. Error checking may return a page with offending fields highlighted. When no errors are found, a result page is displayed showing the updated contents of the record and informing that the modification was successful.

4.9.7 Use Case: Delete program record

Use Case Title: Delete program recordActors: AdministratorDescription: This use cases begins when the administrator selects to delete a program

record from the Select operator on selected program record page. The record is deleted from the database, and a page is displayed informing the user that deletion was successful.



4.9.8 Use Case: Create program record

Use Case Title: Create program recordActors: AdministratorDescription: This use cases begins when the administrator selects to create a program

record from the Program database content management menu. A form is displayed with blank editable text boxes for all possible fields in a program record. The user may fill in appropriate data and click submit.

4.10 Feature: Administrator Content Management for Static DataThis feature is a general description of how the static homebuyer information web pages can be updated by the administrator. Details of this process will depend on the ISP and the exact implementation of the generic framework.


Cost: mediumRisk: highPriority: high

4.10.2 Use Case: Administrator modifies static dataUse Case Title: Administrator modifies static dataActors: AdministratorDescription: This use cases begins when the administrator needs to modify, delete, or

add new static data within the generic framework. Details of this process will depend on the ISP and the exact implementation of the generic framework. In general, these steps should involve the creation of content locally in a predefined format, and uploading this data to the web server.


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