Addressing the locked plots and random timers...

[Kleeya]

And how do you check that people are really afk, and not using some macros or bot to click repeatedly on the buy button while they are at school or something ?

The true solution so that any player can buy a house whenever they want, without harming their health in a 10 hour camping at the same place, is instanced housing. And i am saying that even if i did get a nice well placed little house with the last changes.

[Madbunny]

And how do you check that people are really afk, and not using some macros or bot to click repeatedly

A simple mini-game every X minutes would solve both problems. The game should be something simple but full random so no repeating patterns and must be opt-in, e.g. once you click on the plot you would have an option to select and gain bonus time. But this should be optional and if you dont want then you could just jump in occasionally to check, same as many people are doing right now.
No one is harming their health, its the players choice to wait for long hours in front of the plot. Well at least with my suggestion they will be rewarded as right now you could literally wait for hours, go to take a coffee and once you are back the plot was sold to someone else.

[Jojoya]

People need to take responsibility for their own actions. It's not up to SE to play mom and dad to adults with zero self control.

A lottery would be a nightmare for SE to administer.

If people want to camp, let them camp. It doesn't change someone else walking up at just the right moment to snag the plot and then the camper learns a lesson.

The only thing that needs to addressed further is flippers. Making the timer apply equally to relocations and new purchases would be a start. Trying to figure out a way to prevent sale of FCs with houses would be the final step, though that may not be possible if it interferes with legit FC activity.

A simple mini-game every X minutes would solve both problems.

People already scream at games requiring use of Captchas to try to deter bots. They'd be raging if they had to play a mini-game in order to try to purchase a house.

Nothing is going to stop campers in the long run so why waste effort on the problem?

[Madbunny]

People already scream at games requiring use of Captchas to try to deter bots. They'd be raging if they had to play a mini-game in order to try to purchase a house.
Nothing is going to stop campers in the long run so why waste effort on the problem?

I never said this would be required but optional and i think its fair, e.g. effort vs reward. So if someone doesnt want to play this mini-game nothing will change for him, but if someone decided to sit in front of the plot for hours because the house justify this time then lets reward those players... again if they chose to "apply" for the bonus. I think its really unfair that someone was sitting there for countless hours and then he lost the plot because of some random&stupid reason, like bathroom, coffee, drink, kiss the wife for goodnight, etc. In this way those people will get just a little advantage over others who spend 1/10 of the time waiting or literally were so lucky to jump in the right time.