This is akin to siding contractors in my area who think it is acceptable to install vinyl siding over mid-20th century aluminum siding, and then wonder why they get call backs when it starts to fall apart.

Especially since so many homes in the Lehigh Valley predate lead-based paint issues by a Century.  

It is one of the oldest homes in Edgefield, SC and is listed in the registry as the Century Home.  

We have a mix of traditional STR beach towns that have had rentals for the better part of a century. 

Redfin show that his Century Garden 4-plex Gross operating income is $30420 yearly for 4 units, or $2535 monthly for 4 units, or $633.75 monthly each unit “Before” all the expenses such as $660 monthly HOA, property tax, insurance, Maintanace/repairs, mortgages, vacancy etc.  

My initial idea was create a black A-Frame home with mid-century detailing but have been thinking to go a container/modular style although not using containers.

Few houses in Chelsea are more than 30 years old, but Bham city will have 100+ year old properties and not a lot newer than mid-century. 

I suspect there is not a single zero appreciation market that has better average rent to purchase ratio for a property purchased in either 2000 (for the century) or 2012 (last decade) than San Diego. 

I do not believe I can say with any certainty that if you do this one thing, every problem or pain point you have will be solved or simply go away.Full disclosure, my wife is a 1031 QI so I am balancing my comment and any opinion here and doing my best to be objective and lessen any conflict of interest.So if I focus on real estate and the issue of mitigating someone's tax situation, the 1031 exchange has been the most widely accepted and used strategy since inception over a century ago. 

Being hands on clearing the lot and finding a centuries worth of artifacts in the home was incredible!