Lennar Homes offers Home automation system

Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 7:28 pm

Lennar Homes will now offer home automation systems standard on all homes. For those who don't know what this is, it's basically a Camera, a keypad lock, and a few electricals controlled via Internet from your PC or smart phone. So you can monitor your home while away, turn lights on or off, lock or unlock doors. Sounds great doesn't it. Well it's great for the customer. But I see it as spying. This system will be hooked up to all Houston model homes. How would you like to be in that model all day knowing the boss is watching your every move. (some models have multiple cameras). The system also time stamps when the door was unlocked or locked. Call me paranoid, but I would not feel comfortable in one of those offices.

Dud? Joined: 31 Aug 2011 Posts: 5

I think you're being a little paranoid. As far as the home automation, I think it's an OK incentive or add-on. Most people can do the add-ons on their own. There are some more advanced home automation devices that are pretty cool like ones that monitor the weather and rainfall and automate your lawn sprinklers. There is also ones that will tie in with the electrical company to reduce power usage during peak hours and take advantage of non-peak hours.

Dud? Joined: 26 Nov 2011 Posts: 12 Location: DFW, Texas

I actually like having the video surveillance in the model homes. I know a sales person who had his Iphone stolen off of his desk while working with a prospect in the model and he was able to rewind the footage, capture the thief in the act, download to a jump drive and send the the local PD...they ended up catching the guy!

In regards to monitoring the door entry/exit...every Builder I've worked for does this. Show up on time, leave on time and you won't have a problem unless you have a manager who has a reason or is looking for a reason to write you up. Some Builders who have Cisco office phone systems tied to the internet even have the capability of pulling your weekly call records to see how much follow-up you have been doing...

Grady - The Weathersense technology that you are referring to is actually pretty cool, especially for us tech geeks out there!

Flash in the pan Joined: 09 Dec 2009 Posts: 37

I sure hope it goes over a lot better than their solar program that was a complete failure. Also, although they are the #1 volume builder in Houston, their margins are pathetic. I guess they enjoy building for practice.

Dud? Joined: 26 Nov 2011 Posts: 12 Location: DFW, Texas

The old "stack 'em deep sell 'em cheap" mentality.

Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 11:11 pm

Even as we see new home sales unit numbers improve, profits are still AWOL except for a few pocket markets.

As long as the huge gap between "new home prices" and "resale home prices" remains, builders will struggle with sales and subsequently profits. That's the way it is and always has been.

Most builders are trying to stay active until resale prices start rising. Then, and only then, will they see acceptable profits return. Barring a national catastrophy, the builders should start seeing improving profit margins in late 2013.

The builders also have to figure out how to sell their homes for profit. Sales Counselors have been forced into a "cut the price until it sells" mode for five years. It's not their fault; they're trying to survive. Sales will have to retune their "that's the price, take it or leave it" selling skills.

I expect a great deal of SC turn over when builders no longer drop prices and stop offering Realtors huge BTSA's. What will be a difficult transition for some, will be an opportunity for others.