The units will likely need a full renovation on the interior to bring them into the modern age.

Directly from the article, the entire study is based on a faulty premise:"Desmond and Wilmers invoke the definition of exploitation by the brilliant late Marxist sociologist Erik Olin Wright, who updated Marx’s theory of class for modern knowledge economies.

Fill the nailholes, replace pulls with modern bar pulls (Amazon $1.25/ea), and replace the hinges with hidden hinges (You can buy non-morticed hinges on amazon or from DL Lawrence hardware, you'll have to install blocks inside the cabinets behind the face frames since you have face frame cabinets (sitka or liquid nails will work).

Their business model is to buy a lot, sub-divide into small high density lots, and build modern or quasi-modern homes on these newly created "micro-lots."  

It's no where near adequate for the demands of a modern house.  

While the house would have been a good candidate for a modernizing remodel, the comps in the area and the fact that I wanted to rent it out convinced me that a minimalist approach would be best to achieve the valuation I desired.

The designs of S2a Modular are modern and attractive. 

The style is modern and you may have some bow windows so it gets pricey. 

Personally, I look for markets with diverse/modern industries and economies, growing populations (although surpsisingly, Buffalo is growing), growing jobs and incomes.

The contrast would inexpensively drastically modernize the exterior.