Different types of investments will be more or less profitable than other types over different horizons due to different up front costs.Here's my thinking - you can structure the analysis as if it was an extra-large buy, renovate, and rent project (except the "renovation" step is a new build) and just use a DCF analysis.First, figure out up-front costs: initial payment on land + initial payments on the new construction + holding costs (each of these must be discounted to present value for an apples-to-apples comparison).

She won it on a tv show.

She suggests at least 5 bedrooms, ensuite baths and tv's in each room. 

The current technology uses infra-red signals like a tv remote, but some of the new ones are using blue tooth.  

They make it look easy on TV but there is a Lot to know about Real Estate.

I deal with RE all day, I have zero interest in watching it on TV.

You make sure that your comparing apples to apples in materials.

I was happy when it was resurrected.This could be an episode of a TV show on HGTV, complete with the built-in plot complication.

The median household is still the average, and currently as an example, 51% of American households own an Apple product such as iPhone, iPad or Mac.

It's very "Apple-like" in terms of functionality which makes sense because the founder of Nest was a former Senior President at Apple and played a role in iPod and iPhone development.