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THE SMART HOME REVOLUTION High-tech products take a new home from commonplace to connected.

When it comes to technology-based purchases, smart home products are at the top of consumers’ wish lists. Wi-Fi–enabled choices like doorbells, thermostats, cameras, lighting, and locks were the most in-demand tech products last year, according to the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), and their popularity will likely continue to rise. This year, CTA expects sales in this category to increase 41% over 2017 to nearly 41 million units.

Production home builders like Lennar, Taylor Morrison, Stone Martin Builders, and Quadrant Homes aren’t letting the demand for these types of products pass them by. These companies offer a variety of smart systems as standard in their new homes, providing buyers with phone- or voice-activated control of lighting, heating, air conditioning, and more. For example, at Lennar’s Enclave at Estancia in Austin, Texas, one of the company’s first Wi-Fi Certified communities, buyers can choose from a range of built-in high-tech products including a Ring doorbell camera, Baldwin smart locks, Honeywell Lyric thermostats, and Lutron Caseta switches.

The most popular smart home products are digital assistants, cameras, and thermostats. -Consumer Technology Association

Available on all of its new homes, Meritage’s M.Connected home automation suite includes Wi-Fi–enabled garage doors, light switches, and thermostats and advanced weather-sensing irrigation. All of the features are compatible with devices such as Amazon Alexa, Clare, Nexia, and Google Home.

As part of its HomeSmart initiative, Pardee Homes offers high-speed Category 6 cabling, Honeywell Wi-Fi thermostats, Schlage Connect entry locks, and Liftmaster Wi-Fi garage door openers at some of its communities. Builders say the reason for tapping into tech products is simple: It’s what their buyers want.

There will be 73 million smart homes in the U.S. by 202. That's 55% of homes. -Berg Insight

“The response from customers thus far has been very positive as they realize their homes can improve their quality of life in new ways,” says Tom Mitchell, president and COO of TRI Pointe Group, Pardee’s parent company.

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