Given the fact that the housing stock is in very poor shape I would think not. If you buy one of these row houses in the city you may get it for cheap but you certainly are going to have to put some money into it if you want to be comfortable and sometimes if you want it to even be habitable. Many of those properties don't even have occupancy permits and that means back and forth with code enforcement. If you're going to put money into rehab you just as well get new housing stock and demolish all of the old stuff.