Why are there so few 1980+ 2-4 unit buildings inside the loop?

[Owen Hehmeyer]

There seem to be two kinds of modern era (1980+) housing inside the loop:

1) mega complexes big enough to have on site management (these are the piles of apartments on top of parking garages that all look the same and have bland names)

2) Single family homes (these days, mostly three stories -- and they usually look the same -- garage on bottom, open on two, beds on three, all wrapped inside a Hardiplank shell)

Is it not possible to profitability build 2-4 unit buildings? There used to be duplexes and 4-plexes, but all the fourplexes in Montrose are old. . . all the duplexes in the Heights are old. I would love to own a 2-4 plex of modern-ish vintage, but they almost don't exist. Instead I own two units inside the same large complex. If I bought land and built my own 4 plex, could that make money? Since everyone just puts up more townhomes, I assume not. . . But for someone who wanted to build-rent-hold instead of build-sell, why not build a fourplex instead of subdivide into yet another 3-pack of townhomes on a 5k city lot?