these buildings came down identically WITHOUT causing damage to surrounding valuable properties.
Not true at all. The collapse of WTC7 did this to 30 West Broadway:
The damage was so bad that the building has to be demolished (http://www.epa.gov/wtc/demolish_deconstruct/30wbroadway.htm). The WTC7 collapse was definitely not "neat and tidy". The collapse of WTC7 (as well as that of WTC1) also punched quite a few holes into the exterior of the Verizon Building.
Also 90 West Street suffered moderate projectile damage from the collapse of WTC2 which also caused a number of fires that burned for days. The projectiles severed spandrel beams and the fires caused some columns to buckle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/90_West_Street,_New_York_City). The collapse of WTC2 more severely damaged 130 Liberty St., gouging a deep gash into the North Side of the building:
Other holes were gouged into the World Financial Center towers by both WTC collapses. Same goes for 130 Cedar Street and 114 Liberty Street (pictured below):
Finally, the collapses completely destroyed two buildings in the area:
<--- this church was totally flattened
<-- as was WTC3, of which only a small remnant survived
The claim that the buildings collapsed neatly with no damage to nearby buildings is EXACTLY the kind of error that I was talking about earlier.
One more thing. when the news reports on this atrocity began they estimated that at the very least 7000 people worked in these buildings. Many were evacuated, yes, but many didn't turn up for work that day either. I'd like to know who warned them off, though there are rumours here that it was MOSAD.
That's an urban legend: http://www.slate.com/id/116813/ I know of no specific evidence indicating this at all.