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Is a Smart Home in Your Future?

Wouldn’t it be great if you could push a button at night, and all of your doors would lock, your lights would turn off, and your alarm would set automatically?

That kind of “smart home” feature may sound futuristic or simply beyond reach for those without a lot of money or technical expertise. But the technology is already available and new products and services are making it and similar home automation features increasingly accessible to the average homeowner.

“It appears that we may be at a turning point,” said Chet Geschickter, an analyst with Gartner, a market research group. “We may have all the raw materials for this interoperable home automation world.”

In recent months, some major corporations have announced new products and services that could help turn the smart home into a mass market activity. Among the developments:

AT&T announced it will be rolling out its home automation initiative in March and plans to offer the service in 58 markets nationwide by the end of the year. The service will offer connected door locks, thermostats and video cameras as well as basic security protection. Unlike a similar service offered by Comcast, AT&T’s will be sold separately from the company’s broadband offerings.

Lowe’s introduced a collection of add-on services for its Iris home automation kits, which it unveiled last summer. Among the new features are sensors designed to help consumers monitor their elderly parents, an automated pet door that users can lock or unlock remotely, and a lawn moisture sensor that notifies customers when their yards are getting dry and allows them to turn on their sprinkler system remotely.

ADT, the home security giant, added the ability to remotely lock and unlock doors to its Pulse home automation offering. The company already allowed users to adjust their lighting and thermostat and view security video of their home remotely.

Home appliance maker LG showed off a new washer and dryer set that users can start remotely with their smartphones.

The promise of widely available home automation has been around since “The Jetsons” aired 50 years ago. But until recently, smart home systems have been pricey and complex, typically requiring professional installation. And few consumers have been aware of the availability of such services or haven’t been convinced that they needed them.

But in recent years, major consumer service providers – including ADT, Comcast and Vivint – have entered the market, helping promote the concept of home automation and make it more accessible to average consumers. Companies such as Comcast and Vivint now offer basic home automation systems for less than $500 installed. And Lowe’s Iris, which is available for about $300 for a full system, is designed for self-installation.

“We definitely see that (home automation) is moving increasingly into the mainstream,” said Jonathan Collins, an analyst with ABI Research.

Helping drive the decline in price and ease of use are standardized wireless technologies such as ZigBee and Z-Wave that allow users to install light controllers and automated door locks without needing to rewire their house. Such technologies have allowed electronics manufacturers to design more modular and expandable systems, letting users and service providers customize systems for individual needs and budgets.

The spread of broadband, cloud computing and smartphones have also provided new and compelling ways for consumers to interact with home automation systems, say analysts. For example, smart home services can take the smartphone’s location information and use it as a trigger for doing things like turning on lights or sending alerts.

“Without a smartphone, (the smart home) wasn’t really an exciting value proposition,” said Lisa Arrowsmith, a research manager at IHS Electronics and Media.

And new features are making such systems more attractive to consumers, analysts and industry insiders say. Video monitoring, for example, has proved particularly popular among ADT’s customers. And the growing awareness around energy conservation is driving the adoption of smart thermostats that can adjust temperatures when consumers are away or in response to signals from utility companies seeking to reduce peak demand.

To be sure, home automation still isn’t for everyone. While less expensive and easier to install than before, they still aren’t cheap, and many consumers may still need help configuring them.

The smart home services offered by ADT, Comcast and other providers typically are sold only with other services, such as security protection or broadband access. And they generally require users to sign long-term contracts that can include pricey monthly subscription fees.

Also, many smart home technologies and devices are incompatible with one another. So consumers who want to add on to their systems or change their service providers may find they have limited options -- unless they want to start from scratch.

“There still are some questions that need be to be answered around this market,” Arrowsmith said. “I don’t think we’re going to wake up tomorrow and everyone’s got one, but we are seeing decent growth rates.”

 






© 2013 San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) Distributed by MCT Information Services.

Use Smell to Make a Sale - But Only Certain Smells

It’s common practice for real estate agents to pop baked goods in the oven before an open house, or light some fragrant candles to create an aromatic environment.

“They always tell you to take a bunch of cookie dough and shove it in the oven, so long as it doesn’t burn,” says Adorna Occhialini Carroll, president of the realty training and consulting firm Dynamic Directions. “I like pumpkin pie, butter cookies, anything that has that great combination of spices and gives you the impression of being at home.”

New research suggests, however, that these kinds of complex smells hurt, not help, sales.

The reason, according to Eric Spangenberg of Washington State University, is because consumers get distracted in trying to determine and identify complex scents. He recommends using simple but pleasing options such as lemon, vanilla, pine, green tea, cedar and basil, while avoiding potpourri, baked goods and gourmet foods.

Spangenberg’s research found that shoppers in a Swiss home-decor retailer spent 31.8 percent more time there when the store was scented with a simple orange smell, compared to a complex blend of orange, basil and green tea.

In addition to selecting a simple aroma, he says the smell must match the kind of property being sold – cedar for a mountain home, perhaps, but not a cottage at the beach.

You need to use a scent that buyers will associate with a home’s environment, he says. “It must be simple and positive and congruent.”










 








Source: Wall Street Journal (02/15/13) Tanaka, Sanette

© Copyright 2013 INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

Tips on Disputing Credit Report Errors

Disputing credit report errors can be complicated and frustratingly slow. But it is also a necessary task for Americans who want to avoid paying more on loans and credit cards for a mistake they did not make.

A Federal Trade Commission study released Monday found that one in four consumers surveyed discovered an error in at least one of their credit reports from the three major credit bureaus.

Only 5 percent of the consumers found errors severe enough to increase their rates on mortgage, auto loans and other financial products.

The FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection recommends that consumers take steps to ensure the information on their credit reports is accurate. Most negative information can remain a part of your credit history for seven years.

Here are some tips on how to dispute credit report mistakes and lessen the chance of unwarranted blemishes that stain your credit profile:

Get your credit reports
The first step is to get a copy of your credit report from each of the major credit reporting firms – Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Consumers are entitled to a free report every 12 months from each of the credit bureaus. You can get copies at www.annualcreditreport.com.

It’s important to review your credit history periodically. For one thing, lenders can make errors when they report client accounts to credit bureaus. And if an identity thief opens an account in your name without your knowledge, that can hurt your credit until you discover what’s happened.

File a dispute
If you believe there’s an error in a report, you can submit disputes online at http://www.equifax.com, http://www.experian.com,  www.transunion.com. (Link all three of these to their respective websites.) You can also submit the dispute by mail or phone, the address or number should be on your credit report.

The FTC’s study found that four out of five consumers who found erroneous information in their credit report and filed a dispute with the credit bureaus had a correction made to at least one of their credit reports.

Be patient
Once a dispute is received, credit bureaus are required to respond within 30 days. The credit bureau will contact the lender that provided the information that is under dispute. At that point, the lender looks into the matter. If a fix is made, the lender must alert all three credit bureaus of the error.

When the investigation is complete, the credit bureau must provide written results and a free copy of your report if the dispute results in a change. This report does not count as your free annual report.

Contact lenders
Another option: Reach out to the lender on the account where the error showed up and ask that they update the credit bureaus with correct information.

Contact the CFPB
Not getting anywhere with the credit bureaus? Try the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal agency with the authority to write and enforce rules for the credit reporting industry and to monitor the compliance of the three agencies.

The CFPB also accepts complaints from consumers who discover incorrect information on their reports or are have trouble getting mistakes corrected. And consumers can contact the CFPB if they have issues with the improper use of a credit report, problems with credit monitoring and the improper use of a credit report, among other concerns.

The credit reporting agencies have 15 days to respond to the complaints with a plan for fixing the problem; consumers can dispute that response.

The CFPB also takes complaints on credit cards, mortgages, bank accounts and services, consumer loans and private student loans. To file a credit reporting complaint, consumers can do so at www.consumerfinance.gov/Complaint. (LINK) Or by phone, by calling 1-855-411-CFPB (2372).

Avoid credit repair firms
The Federal Trade Commission has warned consumers against firms that offer services claiming to improve a person’s credit report for a fee. Such firms can’t do anything that you couldn’t do yourself.

Since credit bureaus are required to check disputed information on a consumer’s credit report within a few weeks, or remove it, a typical tactic of credit repair firms is to spam credit bureaus with such requests in hopes the negative items end up being dropped.

But credit experts say that often those items will show up again the next time the credit card company or other creditor issues an update to the credit bureaus.