Poster child for developed lots but massive amount of vacant ones its quite a history that development of lots on a mass scale.

Yet, as said, here we are with people in mass still asking on the things despite the resources already out there.

Solutions to your problem are: 1) buy in a less expensive area where price to rent ratios are better, 2) buy three- and four-units instead of duplexes to benefit from more of the income, and 3) buy "off market" from sellers who may be willing to sell at steep discounts and where you're not competing against the masses. 

On a side note, I am a Project Manager / fire sprinkler system designer (for 20 years) for a fire sprinkler company in central Mass.

Programs will have where the head person occasionally does a zoom call or meets in person with a mass group of people.

The more complex something is, the less likely to get the masses.

In fairness, I'd not expect more from a mass market paperback.  

It relied heavily on that industry, so when handcrafted furniture fell out of favor during to mass production people started leaving and it hasn't quite found it's new calling. 

However, for mass construction of affordable housing you can probably get closer to a cheap house - but still missing A LOT of cost.

At that stage you can sell it to masses at market rate.