diff --git a/docs/developer/README.md b/docs/developer/README.md
index d58dd31ad..cd33aeea6 100644
--- a/docs/developer/README.md
+++ b/docs/developer/README.md
@@ -78,6 +78,21 @@ To test behind logged in pages with external tools, like `pa11y-ci` or `OWASP Za
 
 to MIDDLEWARE in settings.py. **Remove it when you are finished testing.**
 
+### Reducing console noise in tests
+
+Some tests, particularly when using Django's test client, will print errors.
+
+These errors do not indicate test failure, but can make the output hard to read.
+
+To silence them, we have a helper function `less_console_noise`:
+
+```python
+from .common import less_console_noise
+...
+        with less_console_noise():
+            # <test code goes here>
+```
+
 ### Accessibility Scanning
 
 The tool `pa11y-ci` is used to scan pages for compliance with a set of
diff --git a/src/registrar/models/domain.py b/src/registrar/models/domain.py
index b5a2255c7..12a8507f7 100644
--- a/src/registrar/models/domain.py
+++ b/src/registrar/models/domain.py
@@ -36,7 +36,12 @@ class Domain(TimeStampedModel):
         ]
 
     class Status(models.TextChoices):
-        """The status codes we can receive from the registry."""
+        """
+        The status codes we can receive from the registry.
+
+        These are detailed in RFC 5731 in section 2.3.
+        https://www.rfc-editor.org/std/std69.txt
+        """
 
         # Requests to delete the object MUST be rejected.
         CLIENT_DELETE_PROHIBITED = "clientDeleteProhibited"
@@ -96,7 +101,9 @@ class Domain(TimeStampedModel):
 
     @classmethod
     def available(cls, domain: str) -> bool:
-        """Check if a domain is available. Not implemented."""
+        """Check if a domain is available.
+
+        Not implemented. Returns a dummy value for testing."""
         return domain_check(domain)
 
     def transfer(self):
@@ -119,9 +126,15 @@ class Domain(TimeStampedModel):
                 logger.error(e)
                 # TODO: back off error handling
                 return None
-        if hasattr(self, "info") and (property in self.info):
-            return self.info[property]
+        if hasattr(self, "info"):
+            if property in self.info:
+                return self.info[property]
+            else:
+                raise KeyError(
+                    "Requested key %s was not found in registry data." % str(property)
+                )
         else:
+            # TODO: return an error if registry cannot be contacted
             return None
 
     def could_be_domain(self) -> bool:
diff --git a/src/registrar/models/host.py b/src/registrar/models/host.py
index 132e72792..23f6c7659 100644
--- a/src/registrar/models/host.py
+++ b/src/registrar/models/host.py
@@ -28,5 +28,6 @@ class Host(TimeStampedModel):
     domain = models.ForeignKey(
         Domain,
         on_delete=models.PROTECT,
+        related_name="host",  # access this Host via the Domain as `domain.host`
         help_text="Domain to which this host belongs",
     )
diff --git a/src/registrar/models/host_ip.py b/src/registrar/models/host_ip.py
index c6aa1a3c8..22847b77c 100644
--- a/src/registrar/models/host_ip.py
+++ b/src/registrar/models/host_ip.py
@@ -27,5 +27,6 @@ class HostIP(TimeStampedModel):
     host = models.ForeignKey(
         Host,
         on_delete=models.PROTECT,
+        related_name="ip",  # access this HostIP via the Host as `host.ip`
         help_text="Host to which this IP address belongs",
     )
diff --git a/src/registrar/models/nameserver.py b/src/registrar/models/nameserver.py
index 913b3ab03..13295f5b5 100644
--- a/src/registrar/models/nameserver.py
+++ b/src/registrar/models/nameserver.py
@@ -11,4 +11,6 @@ class Nameserver(Host):
     before their application is approved.
     """
 
+    # there is nothing here because all of the fields are
+    # defined over there on the Host class
     pass
diff --git a/src/registrar/tests/test_models.py b/src/registrar/tests/test_models.py
index 78d4cb196..535ab9360 100644
--- a/src/registrar/tests/test_models.py
+++ b/src/registrar/tests/test_models.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ from django.test import TestCase
 from django.db.utils import IntegrityError
 
 from registrar.models import Contact, DomainApplication, User, Website, Domain
+from unittest import skip
 
 
 class TestDomainApplication(TestCase):
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ class TestDomain(TestCase):
         self.assertIn("ok", domain.status)
 
     def test_fsm_activate_fail_unique(self):
-        # can't activate domain if name is not unique
+        """Can't activate domain if name is not unique."""
         d1, _ = Domain.objects.get_or_create(name="igorville.gov")
         d2, _ = Domain.objects.get_or_create(name="igorville.gov")
         d1.activate()
@@ -95,7 +96,7 @@ class TestDomain(TestCase):
             d2.activate()
 
     def test_fsm_activate_fail_unapproved(self):
-        # can't activate domain if application isn't approved
+        """Can't activate domain if application isn't approved."""
         d1, _ = Domain.objects.get_or_create(name="igorville.gov")
         user, _ = User.objects.get_or_create()
         application = DomainApplication.objects.create(creator=user)
@@ -103,3 +104,55 @@ class TestDomain(TestCase):
         d1.save()
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
             d1.activate()
+
+
+@skip("Not implemented yet.")
+class TestDomainApplicationLifeCycle(TestCase):
+    def test_application_approval(self):
+        # DomainApplication is created
+        # test: Domain is created and is inactive
+        # analyst approves DomainApplication
+        # test: Domain is activated
+        pass
+
+    def test_application_rejection(self):
+        # DomainApplication is created
+        # test: Domain is created and is inactive
+        # analyst rejects DomainApplication
+        # test: Domain remains inactive
+        pass
+
+    def test_application_deleted_before_approval(self):
+        # DomainApplication is created
+        # test: Domain is created and is inactive
+        # admin deletes DomainApplication
+        # test: Domain is deleted; Hosts, HostIps and Nameservers are deleted
+        pass
+
+    def test_application_deleted_following_approval(self):
+        # DomainApplication is created
+        # test: Domain is created and is inactive
+        # analyst approves DomainApplication
+        # admin deletes DomainApplication
+        # test: DomainApplication foreign key field on Domain is set to null
+        pass
+
+    def test_application_approval_with_conflicting_name(self):
+        # DomainApplication #1 is created
+        # test: Domain #1 is created and is inactive
+        # analyst approves DomainApplication #1
+        # test: Domain #1 is activated
+        # DomainApplication #2 is created, with the same domain name string
+        # test: Domain #2 is created and is inactive
+        # analyst approves DomainApplication #2
+        # test: error is raised
+        # test: DomainApplication #1 remains approved
+        # test: Domain #1 remains active
+        # test: DomainApplication #2 remains in investigating
+        # test: Domain #2 remains inactive
+        pass
+
+    def test_application_approval_with_network_errors(self):
+        # TODO: scenario wherein application is approved,
+        # but attempts to contact the registry to activate the domain fail
+        pass