In yet another signal that U.S. homebuilders are catching on to the value of technology in new homes, Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN), the second-largest homebuilder in the U.S., recently debuted a high-tech community in Orlando with standard amenities such as rooftop solar, home automation and wall-to-wall connectivity as standard features.
The community, named Innovation at Storey Park, is a gated enclave of 144 new homes with prices starting from the $270,000 range. It features Lennar’s “Everything’s Included” standard amenities policy, which has quite a bit of technology.
The homes come standard with home automation that includes locks, lights and a wireless alarm system. Among the products are:
- Schlage Z-Wave lock
- Ring video doorbell
- Liftmaster mobile-enabled garage door
- Trane Z-Wave digital thermostat
- UTC/Interlogix Zero Wire wireless security with GSM cellular card
- Nortek Z-Wave lighting control
Other tech-based amenities include USB ports and multimedia access throughout the home, prewiring for cable and Internet, Leviton occupancy sensors, Energy Star appliances and an AO Smith Voltex 50-gallon hybrid electric water heater.
The community will also come with SunStreet solar panels standard, which is a first in the state of Florida, according to Lennar. Homeowners can pay a flat monthly fee for a system that generates up to 60 percent of their anticipated electricity needs. Innovation at Storey Park has cottages, manors and estates.
“The average home in this country is 38 years old – long before people heard of the Internet,” says Brock Nicholas, president of Lennar's Orlando division. “Our new homes reflect how people live today and come standard with the lifestyle conveniences once reserved for custom-built private estates.”
Nicholas was joined for a ceremony on May 18, 2016 by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to open Innovation at Storey Park as a model for highly efficient and technologically advanced communities.
“Innovation at Storey Park is more than just another residential development, it is a testament to the strategic growth of our community and will provide quality housing options for our residents who desire to live in close proximity to both the Medical City at Lake Nona and the Orlando International Airport,” said Mayor Dyer. “Moreover, it's a neighborhood that furthers our goals of being the city of the 21st Century with a focus on innovation by offering standard amenities that include rooftop solar, home automation and wall-to-wall connectivity.”
Miami-based homebuilder Lennar was founded in 1954. Lennar Orlando is the largest homebuilder in the Greater Orlando area, currently building in over 40 active lifestyle communities in Central Florida. Lennar's website home page even touts technology in a big way.
