Sounds like there was not a fit in terms of style .. like a Wall Street type trying to hang out with a SoCal surfer type.

One of them was struck by some heavy machinery and created about a one inch wide crack along the entire height of the wall.

But if you walk in, everyone introduces themselves as mortgage brokers and it doesn't say "XYZ Lending" on the wall, it says "ABC Small Time Local Mortgage Brokerage." 2) Yes, with certain restrictions/requirements, some of which vary by state. 

I found that many owners neglect monument signs and utilizing the walls of their properties as advertising. 

Many of these homes are now built with 2x6 walls, not to mention great precision.

You hear the stories of cement in the toilets and holes in every wall simply because those are the outliers.  

The current owners gutted the inside down to the support walls.

It gets tricky, when investors buy an SFR, then put up a temporary wall and kitchen to rent as a duplex. 

Someone had painted the face of Jesus on one wall (I thought it was the Zig Zag man...)

Wall Street has proven their model of stability in the residential RE market post-crash, and if there is another black swan event like 2008/09 there will be a ridiculous amount of competition from large institutions.