The plans range from two to five years, but, unlike traditional car leases, they are lease-to-own programs.

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This sort of lease-to-own arrangement appears to be growing in popularity.

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"Some go straight to rentals, some go to rent-to-own lease options, " Pomranky says.

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Just recently, Rackspace announced its intention to lease data center space from Equinix in order to reduce its own capital outlays and generate higher-margin Fanatical Service revenue.

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Last night we agreed to submit a written offer to North Somerset to acquire a 25-year lease on three of the car parks they own in Nailsea.

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Foreigners wishing to buy property must find a local partner to formally own the land, and then sign a long-term lease with that partner.

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