Lennar and Amazon have joined forces and have opened interactive Amazon Experience Centers within select Lennar model homes across the United States, including Retreat in Satori’s Executive Estates Collection . Customers in the Miami Lakes area can now experience first-hand the convenience of Alexa smart home experience and more in a real home environment. Learn more about Lennar’s connected homes in this recent CBS Miami article by Lisa Petrillo.
MIAMI LAKES (CBSMiami) – At first glance, the Lennar home in Miami Lakes in a newly built community called Satori, looks like everything you’d expect from an elegant upscale home.
But, if you look or listen a bit closer , you’ll see it’s a lot smarter than you could ever imagine.
Lennar homes has tamed up with Amazon creating a smart home powered by Alexa, Amazon’s voice activated digital assistant, to basically be your invisible roommate.
“So now we can have fun. ‘Alexa I’m home,’” said George Valdovinos, Lennar’s Regional Director of Sales, who gives CBS4’s Lisa Petrillo a tour.
“Welcome home,” said Alexa.
With that, the home’s lights go on, the blinds go up and the home welcomes you.
“So what we did is we brought together their technology through Alexa and our homes being the first certified Wi-Fi homes in the market. We thought it was a great marriage to expand upon our everything is included package,” said George.
It is the latest in home automation, where Alexa can be programmed to know as little or as Much as you want.
“Alexa we have visitors,” said George.
“Welcome CBS4 News. I’m Amazon’s Alexa. Thank you for coming to our Amazon Experience Center today, this home was designed for you to interact with me today, don’t be shy,” said Alexa.
“It’s almost like one of these sci-fi movies that you can talk to the home and the home speaks back to you. You can have everything you want to have. I’m so excited about what we are offering,” George said.
In the kitchen, Alexa doesn’t actually cook yet, but she does help plan dinner.
“Alexa, show me a recipe for lasagna.” George demanded.
“OK here’s a few lasagna recipes,” Alexa said.
Immediately three recipes showed up on the screen.
Through Amazon’s White Glove Service, homeowners are taught the correct phrases to say to make Alexa do the work. Like check in on the kid’s rooms and tell then it’s time for dinner.
The master bedroom has a wake up mode. The homeowner says, “Alexa, Good Morning.”
Immediately, the lights go on, and shades go up. Alexa greets you, gives you the weather and your estimated drive time to work.
At bedtime, after saying” Alexa Goodnight “, Alexa says: “Enjoy your beauty rest. Not that you need it. Your fabulous.” The lights go off and shades go down.
And if you forgot, Alexa even locks your front door.
The system is also designed for the future, so as technology expands , the home can easily upgrade itself.
Petrillo asked Valdovino if Alexa is always listening and if there are security issues.
“No not at all. If your worried about Alexa listening, you can turn off the microphone. If you’re concerned about security, it’s military grade encryption that you have on the lock-set at front of home. At same token, very little information on you is collected. To us, security is super important it’s something I would tell you, is not much to worry about.
The homes here in the Satori community in Miami Lakes range from $550-650 thousand.
