A property management group is interested in diversifying its company to operate properties for low-income housing, but the group members are nervous about the impact on the brand of high-end apartment developments where they have been operating. What strategy should the property management group use to diversify but keep control of both divisions?

Simon, aged 10, is invited to a classmate's birthday party at an exclusive ski resort on march 15th. the day will include 4 hours of snowboarding, lunch and birthday cake. simon's mother checks a box on the invitation that says "yes, we will attend" and returns it to the classmate's address. unfortunately, they later don't attend the party when simon comes down with the flu. on march 17th, simon's mother receives an invoice in the mail from simon's classmate for $35 that says, "party no-show fee." can simon's classmate collect the fee?

China's new 5 percent tax on disposable wooden chopsticks, reflecting concerns about deforestation, has been praised by environmentalists. the move is hitting hard at the japanese, who consume 25 billion set of wooden chopsticks annually. almost all of the chopsticks used in japan come from china. the reuirements for chinese manufacturers of wooden chopsticks to pay the 5 percent tax is a factor in their external environment.

Suppose that a major city’s main thoroughfare, which is also an interstate highway, will be completely closed to traffic for two years, from january 2014 to december 2015, for reconstruction at a cost of $535 million. if the construction company were to keep the highway open for traffic during construction, the highway reconstruction project would take much longer and be more expensive. suppose that construction would take four years if the highway were kept open, at a total cost of $800 million. the state department of transportation had to make its decision in 2014, one year before the start of construction (so that the first payment was one year away). so the department of transportation had the following choices: (i) close the highway during construction, at an annual cost of $267.5 million per year for two years. (ii) keep the highway open during construction, at an annual cost of $200 million per year for four years. now suppose the interest rate is 80%. calculate the present value of the costs incurred under each plan.