Problem: Article: Owner financed sales are rare, and you shouldn't jump into one until you have thoroughly considered your situation. Think about the following: You usually must own the house free and clear of any mortgage. Otherwise, you will need your lender to give you permission to sell. Taxes can be complicated and you'll want to hire a tax professional to help you. You might have to go through the foreclosure process if the buyer stops making payments. This can be costly and time-consuming. However, you may make much more money on an owner financed sale than if you sell the traditional way. Buyers usually like owner financed sales because a seller might be less choosy than a bank or mortgage lender. However, you should consider the following: You might have to come up with a larger down payment than you normally would. The owner-seller is taking a risk by financing your sale, and in return they might want a larger down payment or higher interest. Owner financed sales often close faster than other sales. You need to be sure you can make the balloon payment if one is written into the contract. If you break the contract, then you could lose the house and all of the payments you have made up to that point. This option is often more advantageous for the buyer and less complicated for the seller. You and the person interested in your home will lock in a potential sale price for the home, as well as a lease agreement ranging from 2 to 5 years. During that time, the person will pay you rent on the home, with a portion of that rent going toward a down payment on the house. After the lease ends, the person can choose to proceed with the sale as arranged, or they can opt to walk away. If they walk away, they don't get a refund on the extra money they paid toward the down payment. If they do walk away, you'll need to relist your home.
Summary: Analyze your situation as a seller. Determine if an owner financed sale is ideal as a buyer. Consider a lease-to-own option.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: This is the safest method of thawing ham, but also takes the most time. Put the frozen ham in a rimmed pan or on a baking sheet to catch any drips that occur during the thawing process. Place the ham in its container on the lowest shelf of your fridge. Thawing ham in the fridge takes about 4 to 6 hours per 1 pound (0.45kg). If the ham is larger than 10 to 11 pounds (4.5 to 5.0kg), it could take up to 7 hours per 1 pound (0.45kg) for it to thaw. Allow 2-3 days to thaw a ham of 10 pounds (4.5kg) in the refrigerator. After your ham has thawed in the fridge, it can remain refrigerated for 3-5 days before you cook it. You can also freeze it again if you don't cook it in that time frame. Wrap the ham securely in an airtight plastic bag. Plug the sink, and place the ham in it. Then fill the sink with cold water. Drain it every half hour and replace the water to make sure it stays cold enough. Allow about 30 minutes per 1 pound (0.45kg) of ham to thaw. Make sure the water is cold, not warm or hot. If the water isn't cold, the outside of the ham could reach temperatures of 40F (4C) before the inside of the ham is thawed. Temperatures this high can cause bacterial growth and food poisoning. Cook the ham immediately after you've thawed it in cold water. It cannot be frozen again with this method. Put the microwave on its defrost setting. Consult your microwave's instruction manual for the correct defrosting time based on the weight of your ham. This method is not ideal for larger pieces of meat. The meat will cook unevenly as the outside begins cooking before the inside is thawed. Some parts may become dry and overcooked. Avoid thawing meat over 2 pounds (0.91kg) in the microwave. After thawing in the microwave, ham should be cooked immediately. Do not refreeze it. You can cook a frozen ham without thawing it first. Allow extra cooking time. It will take approximately 50% longer to cook a frozen ham than a thawed one, depending on its size.

SUMMARY: Let your ham thaw in the refrigerator if time permits. Thaw the ham in cold water if you're more pressed for time. Use the microwave to thaw ham as a last resort. Skip the thawing altogether to save time.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Review your list of activities to determine which steps are unnecessary. Delete all unnecessary activities from your list if they are not specific to this particular objective. It is important to streamline the process and avoid having so many steps that it is overwhelming or confusing to the employees. If the omitted activity is important to your overall business, consider which goal best benefits from this activity and save it to be part of a separate business process. It is helpful to create a flow chart of the entire process, listing each activity in order and linking it to the next part of the process. Start with the premiere event leading to your goal. Draw a circle around this activity. Draw a line to a box and fill that box with the first activity required to work from this premiere event to your goal. When you reach a moment which requires a decision, draw a diamond around the question which must be posed. Two lines should proceed from this diamond leading to the activity driven by this decision. Link each activity sequentially. Some may run simultaneously through different departments within your business. Culminate in the activity which reaches your goal, and draw a circle around this conclusion. Look at your completed flow chart with a critical eye to see if there are still any remaining activities which could be cut from the process to increase efficiency, quality, or decrease cost. Can the order be rearranged or can the individual processes be improved to accomplish your objective in a better way? Consider whether any part of your process can be automated. Step back and get an outside eye by sharing the process with your management team. Look at your process from the point of view of the customer and consider ways you could improve their experience and overall satisfaction. This will provide transparent accountability for each step within the process. Share the flowchart with your employees to clearly communicate the expectations for achieving your objective. Give management ownership by involving them in the process of creating the business process. Allow time and support for management to achieve the objectives assigned to them.
Summary:
Maximize the efficiency of the business process. Determine the order of the necessary activities. Optimize your business process. Assign management to supervise each step of the process.