We brought our design skills to the deal, creating a new floorplan for the kitchen, pantry, and specific redesigns of spaces, as well as selection of fine finishes/features to create a strong aesthetic that wasn't the cookie cutter 'white kitchen and bath'.

If the market will hold it, everyone will do it - otherwise there will be under cutters and they'll have to moderate or go out of business.

Is the game rigged against investors? 

From what I've researched, the costs to build a "cookie cutter" home is anywhere from $150-450psf. 

Etc if it's only roots causing the blockage then have someone snake it with a root cutter and run root killer down it, obviously remove any shrubs and or trees that could be causing the damage.

Great thing about this is it is a cookie cutter program.  

the one thing I will caution you against is the presence of "rural ghettos", which are HOA/Cookie cutter neighborhoods in phoenix that look nice from the road driving by, but are a nightmare of maintenance and low quality tenant bases. 

Cookie-cutter sales procedures aren't making sense.

What about a big Rig truck stop/restaurant/repair shop with big rig parking for sleepovers, I assume this place has “beaucoup” electrical service, possibly 3-phase.

Might be too much info, but I have to forewarn that a tile cutter is almost mandatory to make the many chops during install (unless someone has Popeye forearms).