Marketing Home Products

A few months ago I outlined what I think the home of the future will look like. Now it looks like that vision is one step closer to being a reality for all of us. Lowe’s is preparing to introduce home automation kits priced for the mass market. Using AlertMe’s cloud based Iris system and home networking equipment, consumers will be able to access and control their home’s security, energy and appliances from their computers and mobile devices. This system can be self-installed and will help home owners conserve energy and money through greater control over their home’s systems.

You can read all the details about the system here.

As the economy still looks to recover from the recession and the housing market continues to be deflated, more and more families are looking to save money by living in non-traditional extended family units. In the past decade alone, the U.S. census has reported a rise in multigenerational families by upwards of 30%. Culturally, in the U.S., families have stuck to the typical nuclear family style residence of parents and children. However, times are changing and many family homes now not only consist of the nuclear unit, but grandparents, in-laws, and cousins as well. Baby boomers, now comprising  30% of the U.S. population, now move in with their children to save money. Boomerang children, or college graduates that move back home with their parents, are an increasing demographic of the U.S. population.

Families have opportunities to save money living under one roof in many ways. Firstly, more adults mean more income to support mortgage payments and other household related bills. Secondly, elder relatives act as a sort of “built-in-babysitter” for the family, saving cost on childcare. Thus, the extended family housing is unique in that it is a growing sector in an otherwise depressed market. Naturally, builders and contractors have flocked to this niche industry, offering unique features such as second master bedrooms or additional kitchens. While duplexes and granny flats have a long history in American architectural style, the “two-homes-in-one” model is novel and attracts new buyers as well as builders. Look to see more homes built in this style in the New Year.

While this adjusted home building style may be new, there is nothing new about extended family living. Multigenerational living isn’t just a fad to be forgotten in a few short years time. Americans may merely be adapting to what other cultures have been practicing for centuries. In many parts of Latin America, Africa, and India it is the norm to live with many other members of your family. The old adage, “it takes a village to raise a child”, wasn’t invented purely on thought alone. Essentially, that is what multigenerational living is, a small community unit. Broken down even further, the Hispanic and American sectors of the U.S. population see twice the number as whites living in multigenerational residences. This is powerful information for builders, contractors, and suppliers of building materials. The possibilities for growth in this niche market are endless!

Earlier this year, Google introduced Google Wallet, a revolutionary way to pay for items using Near Field Communication (NFC) to turn your smartphone into your wallet. But Google’s not the only one turning smartphones into something more powerful.

Blackberry announced that starting in 2012 several of its phones will be equipped with NFC technology similar to that used by doors that are unlocked by tapping cards to a card reader.

Image source: Geek.com

So instead of using a card to get into your apartment building or office, you’ll just need your smartphone. Blackberry says this will create an extra layer of security by allowing users to set a PIN on their phone that must be entered after the door has “scanned” their device. Preventing thieves from being able to access your home by stealing your card, they would now have to figure out your PIN, too.

There’s no word yet on whether other phone manufacturers will start adding similar features to future phone models, but with NFC technology already being explored by other manufacturers (again, think Google Wallet), it seems to be a logical progression of events. This could have major implications for both door and door lock manufacturers and security companies. If home security via smartphone is the way of the future, doors that come standard with this technology and integrate into the home’s security system could be a very real possibility. And why stop at the front door? Could we see security system keypads replaced by an NFC receiver? Or perhaps a security system that detects when an NFC-enabled device goes out of a home’s range and automatically arms the system? Smartphones already touch many parts of our lives, and soon they will change the way we think about home security.