The front steps have no grip/texture and the gutters drip onto them and it becomes a sheet of ice. 

You could try a few things that might help get a grip on the situation a little better.

Having multi-family property in (or near) a city like Portland, in the grips of a housing shortage, isn't a bad thing. 

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How long until banks soften their grip on their cash?

I think this will depend on the area I would like to invest in and many other moving parts but this is why I made this post to connect and network with investors/realtors in the area so I can get a better grip of the market.

Get a grip. 

So it is actually not the events in our lives that bring out the worst in us, it is actually the fear of those events that paralize us.As soon as that paralizing feeling of feer grips you the next time, just remember the odds are stacked in your favor.

I use the grip strip stuff from Home Depot, and it goes together so easily.

I have some experience with pet accidents and the grip-strip vinyl flooring.