Hard surfaces should fall at least 1 inch per 48 inches from the home.

Did you mean the alley is 8 ft wide, not inches? 

How tall is the commercial building or the other ones nearby? 

Frankly, it seems that the credit card companies have created a mountain too tall for us to climb.

I plow snow and a 3 inch event each truck grosses $3800 every 8 hours .   

CA its solid brush that is 5 to 15 feet tall and you can hardly walk through it.. they will burn it every few years to keep first from raging.. 

US Treasuries will not see their credit rating improve, and will, within the next 12-24 months get another (small) downgrade, inching up treasury yields.

One was the steps were a few inches off of code in height, and the railing broke when the guy fell. 

We just discovered a crack in the concrete slab foundation that is a borderline major problem:- It is a vertical crack about 1/8 inch wide that is at least 9ft long, which is causing a 3/4 inch drop in the flooring and some evidence of old (luckily) limited moisture and termite intrusion. - BUT, it also appears old and probably a symptom of the original house settling.

I know that's a tall ask though, so do I instead need to talk to a financial advisor who can adivse me?