How to build an integrated Smart Home System

It is important to strategize before you start building your smart home network. The beauty of having a smart home network is when all your devices are syncing up flawlessly and making your life simple. Every person’s level of techiness and budget is different, so we’ve outlined different bundled options below for different needs. We have created four groupings below that will integrate well. Google’s Nest system has been built out for a consumer to have a flawless experience. Amazon’s Alexa with Ring is the most universal system. If you decide to go with Alexa as the main hub for your system, you can feel confident building a system and filling in with a magnitude of products that are compatible.

Voice Assistants for your Smart Home System

Before we dive in, it’s important to note that there are three major voice assistants that dominate the market: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri. If you want to control your smart home with voice commands, deciding which platform you prefer and buying the products that are supported by your preferred voice assistant before you buy. Many of the different products linked below will work with multiple voice assistants, this is really personal preference. Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri cover the big names like Philips Hue lights and Nest thermostats. Frankly, unless you have some very esoteric home automation devices, you can probably control your smart home with either voice assistant.

Start with a Hub in Mind –
Google Nest or Amazon Alexa

Google Nest and Amazon Alexa have the most robust systems that have already been built out to be compatible as a starting point. Apple has HomeKit however, this system is not nearly as robust. You might also consider starting with SimpliSafe for your doorbell, lock, and security system. From there, you can build with either Alexa or Google for additional products to add to your Smart Home ecosystem.

Prices listed below will fluctuate depending on current sales and promotions.

Google Nest SmartHome

  • Google Voice Control starting at $29 – If you go with a Google system, there are six options for central control and Google Assistant is much better than Alexa at parsing natural language. Amazon’s voice assistant is picky with syntax, though it has gotten better with steady updates. Google Assistant doesn’t get confused by wording as easily as Alexa, so you can speak more naturally and not have to worry as much about phrasing your commands properly. Below are our picks if you are building a google Smart Home system.
  • Nest x Yale Lock $250
  • Nest Hello Doorbell $200
  • Nest Secure. $499, $19/m monitoring by Brinks w/ contract
  • Google Home Max $300 is a big bassy smart speaker that pairs well with Google Home Mini speakers

  • Nest Learning Thermostat $200 is one of the first and still the best thermostats.  Works well with Alexa as well as Google.

  • Nest Protect smoke and CO Detector $99 this self-test themselves and notify the owner on the app. They also have a night light that turns on when you walk under them in the dark

Amazon Alexa Ring Smart Home

  • Alexa Voice Control Hub – Amazon Echo Show 8 $129 is the best for Alexa, also consider the Echo Show 5 $70 for smaller spaces. Alexa has much more robust third-party support, with thousands of skills that can be enabled to perform specific tasks, like ordering a pizza or telling a story. You can also make your own simple Alexa skills easily with Alexa Blueprints. Alexa also supports many more smart home devices for voice control than Google Assistant.

  • Ring Video Doorbell 3 $200 is a reviewer’s favorite and works with both Google and Amazon (Ring is owned by Amazon)

  • Ring Alarm Security System $219 from Amazon, one of the best in the Ring ecosystem. Professional monitoring is just $10/month

  • Echo Dot has a drop-in feature that lets you use your Echos as an intercom.

  • Ecobee $250 thermostat has a good option with voice control built-in.

 

Apple HomeKit App w/ Siri on iPhone

 

Unfortunately, Apple does not have a robust compatible system as a starting place. You could use your iPhone, iPad, or apple laptop as the central control hub for your smart home system or buy an Apple HomePod. Go to the HomeKit app to see what is compatible and build from there – there aren’t as many products as I expected.

Affordable SimpliSafe Security

For a great doorbell, lock, and security system I would start with SimpliSafe. It is the most affordable system on the market and a great way to get the basics of your system started for less than the google nest or amazon ring system. It also integrates with Alexa, Google, or Apple Watch so you can use Alexa and Google voice assist to arm your system. This product also integrates with the August lock and the Nest thermostat.

  • SimpliSafe Smart Lock $99 lock and unlock your door using the PIN pad, the key fob, or your phone.
  • SimpliSafe Doorbell.   $169 – has all the same capabilities as ring but integrates with the security system on one app.
  • SimpliSafe Hearth Security System  $300 – includes a base station, keypad, key Fob, 3 Entry Sensors, 1 Motion Sensor, 1 105dB Siren, 1 Smoke Detector

 

Combine the Best in Smart Home Technology Into Your own System 

If you don’t mind having multiple apps to control devices on your phone just pick your favorites and start building your custom smart home.  We’ve curated a list of our favorites in several different categories, taking into consideration features, interoperability, and value. You can mix and match different products. Advanced techy homeowners who know programming chops can even build your own home hub with an open-source program called Raspberry Pi.

Product Categories

Locks

All the locks allow you to lock and unlock your door from your phone, give people you trust the passcode, and check the status of your door.
  • August Smart Lock Pro + Connect $279 attaches to your existing deadbolt and unlocks with bluetooth or over any of the three voice assistants. August integrates with Simplisafe home system.
  • SimpliSafe Smart Lock $99 lock and unlock your door using the PIN pad, the key fob or your phone. You can also sync your system with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
  • Nest x Yale Lock $250 – Yale has been making locks for years and they partnered with Nest (Google) to make their product techy.

Security/Monitoring 

  • Ring Alarm $219 from Amazon, one of the best in the Ring ecosystem. Professional monitoring is just $10/month
  • Nest Secure  $499 is a similar suite from Google. $19/m monitoring by Brinks w/ contract.
  • SimpliSafe Hearth  Security System $300 and $15/m monitoring.
  • Arlo Ultra is one of the best cameras on the market, but Arlo does not have an alarm system product.
  • Alarm.com provides extensive support options.

Music

  • Alexa Echo Plus bigger smart speaker to complement the smaller smart speakers like the Echo Dot that can be placed elsewhere.  Bonus – I love the Drop-in feature that lets you use your Echos as an intercom.
  • Google Home Max   $300 is a big bassy smart speaker that pairs well with Google Home Mini speakers. 
  • Sonos One   $199 Amazing sound, high price. compatible with Google and Alexa. Control music from the sonos app. System connects to wifi so when calls come in your music is not interrupted. Sonos is supported by Alexa voice commands.   
  • Apple Home Pod $300
  • Bose Home Speaker  $200 – compatible with Google and Alexa  

Smart Outlets

Hub – control center 

Thermostat

  • Nest Learning Thermostat $200 is one of the first and still the best thermostats. Works well with Alexa as well as Google.
  • Ecobee has a good option with voice control built-in.

Lighting

Other Categories/Honorable Mentions

Routers

Special Thanks to Pat Kinne

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Do you have home equity?

Disclaimer: We are not lenders, we are not financial advisors, we are not accountants, we are not attorneys.

Do you have home equity? Wondering how you can use it to your advantage?

So you bought a home a few years ago and have EQUITY! The value has gone up, but how can you use the gain in value to your advantage? Home value is not a liquid asset, but with a tool called a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) you can utilize your equity on your primary residence without selling your home. There are several institutions that offer this type of credit and we’ve done some shopping around for you to help you pick the best program.

We called the top five banks that were recommended for their HELOC programs. We gave all of them the same scenario. The given scenario was: The homeowner’s agent said their house is worth $500K. The owner purchased the home for $400K two years ago and currently has a loan on the property for $380K. Their credit score is 750, income is $60K, debt = $2000/m for mortgage, $250/m car payment, $3000 in credit card debt.

Disclaimer: Rate fluctuate everyday and are based on your personal scenario, the rates below are just estimate for demonstration. Rates were as of July 2019.

The amount of money you can borrow for a HELOC will be calculated by multiplying the current home value by the percentage (typically 80-90%) and subtracting the current loan on the property. EX: $500K (current home value) x .89 (loan to value) = $445K – $380K (loan on home) = $65,000

Here is how we would rank the HELOC programs that we researched.
1. Bellco – 80% at a fixed 3.99%, 80-90% at a fixed 4.49%
2. Red Rocks – 89% at a 5.5% adjustable rate
3. Vectra – 85% at 5.35% to 5% adjustable
4. US Bank – 85% at 6.3%
5. Chase – 80% at 9.38%

Here are some assumptions you can make about most HELOCs…
1. Will have an adjustable rate and will fluctuate with the market rate during the term of the loan. BELLCO is running a special right now on a FIXED RATE HELOC
2. Can only be taken out a your primary residence
3. Payments are typically interest only
4. You will have to pay for an appraisal, closing cost, and it will usually benefit you to open an account at the institution
5. Unlike a second mortgage, a HELOC gives you access the the equity but you don’t have to pull out a lump sum

So now that you know what some local banks are offering, let’s think through a few scenarios on how you could utilize a HELOC. We must mention, HELOCs are NOT bottomless piggy banks to fund affluent lifestyles that you really can’t afford. The frivolous use of HELOCs in part lead to the Great Recession in 2008.

1. Moving Up – Many homeowners utilize the equity they have in their first home to purchase a second home. In Denver’s competitive housing market it can be extremely difficult to purchase a new home with a contingency to sell your current home. Also, many families don’t want to sell their current home without having a replacement home under contract. HELOCs are a solution many buyers are utilizing to avoid this dilemma. You can make an non-contingent offer, use funds from a HELOC as the down payment on your replacement property, and close on your new home THEN list your first home. With the proceeds from the closing of your first home you will have to pay off the first mortgage and HELOC in full. All the banks we spoke with confirmed that a HELOC can be used for anything… including the purchase of another home, but MAKE SURE TO CHECK WITH YOUR LENDER!

2. Home Improvement – Are there aspects of your home that you would like to improve? If so, a HELOC might be a great option for you. A HELOC allows you to borrow against the equity you already have in your home. Allowing you to finance these larger purchases over time instead of in one lump sum. Keep in mind that many of these rates are typically not fixed and payment are interest only, so having an established payment plan that includes a strategy to pay down the principle will be in your best interest. When considering home improvements, be sure to be mindful and discuss your improvement plans with your trusted real estate agent. Your agent can help you navigate what improvements are going to bring the most value back into the home when you sell. Take it from us, there is nothing more discouraging than putting a lot of money into a home that does not increase the value.

3. Consolidating other higher interest loans – Have you evaluated the interest rate on your student loan and credit cards? It can be extremely difficult to pay off high interest loan debt if you interest rate is 19.24% (average credit card interest rate). It might benefit you to use a HELOC to pay off debt with a higher interest rate.

We can help you with any real estate questions including: How much is my house worth? What is the best strategy to buy a second home? What renovation projects give the best return on investment. Call us: 303-720-8491

Denver Tax Assessment

Did you get your “notice of valuation” from the city of Denver? The city is working hard to accurately value your property so they can fairly tax households throughout the county and raise money for public services and projects. Denver recently launched a program called the Denver Tax Receipt where you can actually see exactly where your tax dollars go, I highly recommend checking it out!

Your valuation should be close to you Zestimate or actual market value of your property. If you are the worst house on the block, your property value probably came in higher than the actual market value. If the valuation is not accurate, you have the ability to protest it with the city by June 3rd. Please email me if you need help protesting this value (kassidy@LivingRoomDenver.com).

Did you know Colorado is ranked 5th nationally for most affordable property tax valuations? Our taxes here are actually very low. The median household in Colorado is paying about $1500 in taxes per year in property taxes. The highest state property taxes are in New Jersey where residents pay $7840/year. California has a bad reputation for high taxes, but residents are paying about $3414/year. The red state of Texas actually has very high property taxes, ranked 45 of 50 making it one of the most expensive state property taxes. We looked at tax rates at a state level, but remember that your actual taxes will be determined by the combination of state, county, and city taxes. 

Once I understood where your taxes go by using the Denver Tax Receipt, I felt very proud to be contributing to fund the important services that make our great city run. I’m also grateful to live in a state that has affordable taxes when compared to other places. It’s a whole new perceptive once you start looking at the big picture! 

Here is a video from The City of Denver

Investment Strategies

I love sharing with my clients the different ways to make their real estate purchases smart investments.  I want to share with you my six favorite ways to invest in the market. 

The Classic Move Up 
Start small and every few years sell your current home and upgrade into something bigger. Great for every phase of your life – condo, townhouse, single family to a mansion. As your life grows, your home grows with you!

Roommate Rental 
Live with roommates who pay the mortgage.  This is great for people who like communal living. Room size, privacy, and two living rooms are important. This is a great way to get started as a young person before you have permanent roommates aka a husband/wife and children!

AirBnB Rental
Find a place that has a separate area which can be rented short-term.  Great for people who travel a lot and live in highly desirable areas. It is smart to avoid HOAs and in Denver, it must be the primary residence to legally rent short term.

Handyman Renovations
Find a place that needs improvement.  This is great for people who are handy and have excess time and cash. Best if you can find these deals off the market! If you do it yourself, you must have cash for the materials. A renovation loan can also be an option if you plan to hire a general contractor. If you are doing a quick flip, remember that if you live in the home less than two years, plan to pay taxes equal about 30%.

Denver & Mountain Balance
Purchase a second home in the mountains and AirBnB your Denver place on the weekends or vice versa. Great for people who love to ski and hike but also have obligations in the city. Live the ideal Colorado life and make a great income while doing it!

Real Estate Retirement
Purchase a new primary residence every two years, converting your old primary into a rental, and never sell. Great for people who want to retire and not work anymore. If you focus on cash on cash return when you make the initial purchase, you should be able to cash flow each investment for monthly residual rental income. Within 10 years you could be making about $5,000 per month. After thirty years it is pure profit and ideally, the values of the homes have tripled. 

Our Latest Listing Video

Our Mission

We pair people with the right place for a prosperous life.

Contact Us

3997 Haddon St. Denver
303-720-8491