General Motors would probably have been ok had the credit markets not frozen.

I also had frozen pipes this past weekend.

This is a mind bender, I know, but equity is actually frozen cash, wasting away. 

About $1,000 in damage from frozen pipes, and I submitted to bill to them and their parents stepped in and paid it immediately.

Here you would be digging frozen ground now till way past Easter,,,that is a harder job. 

In those cases I still get paid very well out of the buyers down payment and the seller feels security in a liquid buyer.You might have found some brokers/agents to do this kind of stuff back in 2009, 2010 when markets were frozen and sellers would do anything to sell a property.

The account was quickly frozen and the buyer received his $2.4M back.

Even if funds were frozen the government later on wouldn't just not release money owed.

I can tell you I have seen many investors make millions and then lose millions because they became overleveraged at the peak of a cycle.You own all of these properties but when the market goes down you can become upside down or cash flow insolvent.The time for 100% owner finance, little money down, etc. is when the market cycle is frozen and just starting to recover for an asset class.

I've had an entire house re-plumbed not due to frozen pipes but it cost about $4,000.