New products allow homeowners to monitor their homes from a distance — even internationally.
Many people grew up with the idea that one day we would all be living in homes like the Jetsons, the 1960s cartoon family living in the future, with a closet that showers and dresses you and a robot that makes your breakfast.
While homes aren’t yet quite there, smart home technology has advanced leaps and bounds in recent years and has become more popular than ever.
For some homebuyers on Staten Island, smart technology can be an alluring perk; and for homeowners, it provides worthwhile advantages.
“Technology has changed the way we live in and interact with our homes,” said Sandy Krueger, CEO of the Staten Island Board of Realtors (SIBOR). “Smart homes can be programmed to react to their owner and tailored to fit with a person’s lifestyle – homeowners can even design the home to meet their specific needs.”
Here are a few ways smart home technology can be utilized:
SECURITY
New products allow homeowners to monitor their homes from a distance — even internationally.
Owners can lock doors and windows from their portable computers, or access security camera recordings from a mobile device.
“It’s not just about keeping the property safe, it’s about keeping you and your family safe, too,” Krueger said. “Fire, carbon monoxide and gas leak alarms that connect to your smartphone can give you peace of mind that everything is all right in your home even when you aren’t physically there.”
ENERGY SAVINGS
Smart thermostats allow homeowners to program their home’s temperature and adjust it even after they’ve left, avoiding any needless heating or cooling of an empty house.
Automated lighting programs let people turn the lights on and off in their home from their smartphone or laptop from anywhere in the world.
“Smart green features have been in high demand for years now,” Krueger said. “These products not only help the environment but also bring your electricity and water bills down, saving you money.”
CONVENIENCE
One of the main appeals of smart homes is that they can make the homeowner’s life easier.
A garage-door opener connected to your smartphone and a sprinkler system that syncs with the weather forecast so the lawn is never watered when it’s raining are all features that simplify day-to-day life. Soon, instead of having to check the refrigerator to see if anything is running low, a homeowner will receive a text message from their smart kitchen reminding him or her to buy eggs.
Although the benefits that these technologies provide are numerous, it is important not lose sight of the risks smart homes can pose to the owner’s privacy. As smart technology becomes more established in homes, it becomes even more important that the necessary precautions are taken to protect data and privacy.
That’s why the National Association of Realtors® worked with the Online Trust Alliance, a non-profit with the mission to enhance online trust, to create the Smart Home Checklist. The checklist offers guidance to home buyers and sellers about how to stay in control of the privacy and security of their smart home technology.
For more information on the value or smart home technology and how to protect your privacy in your home, contact SIBOR or visit www.SIBOR.com.
About The Staten Island Board of REALTORS® (SIBOR)
At 100 years old, the Staten Island Board of REALTORS® (SIBOR) is the largest not-for-profit professional and trade association in Staten Island, N.Y.
SIBOR exists to enhance the ability and opportunity of its members to conduct their business successfully and ethically, and promote the preservation of the public’s right to own, transfer and use real property.
Comprised of approximately 1,800 members, SIBOR serves real estate agents, brokers and affiliated professionals throughout the borough and surrounding areas.
SIBOR is the provider of the Staten Island Multiple Listing Service Inc. (SIMLS), which works as a clearinghouse through which more than 250 local real estate firms exchange information on properties they have listed for sale. Together, its members participate in over 3,000 real estate transactions every year.
All SIBOR Realtors belong to the New York State Association of REALTORS® (NYSAR) and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).
SIBOR may be reached at 718-928-3220 and viewed online at www.SIBOR.com. SIBOR may also be visited on Facebook at “Staten Island Board of Realtors” and “SIBOR 100” (showcasing some of the organization’s latest highlights and accomplishments), and on Twitter via @SIBOR.
Media Contact: Barton Horowitz
Relevant Public Relations, LLC
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