What a Smart Home Reviewer ACTUALLY Uses at Home (2026 Tour)
Aug 22, 2026
As a smart home columnist for REALTOR Magazine and a YouTuber, I've tested hundreds of smart home products — and people still ask me what to actually buy. So here's the honest answer: a full tour of what's really installed in our home, what I'd skip, and what I'd do differently if we built again.
Highlights: Lutron Caséta lighting and Serena shades, the Roborock rotation, Echo Hub vs. Josh.ai through Sonos, the Ecobee I always come back to, our UniFi network + fiber upgrade, eufy cameras with no subscriptions, the new Schlage Sense Pro with ultra-wideband unlock, and the Anker SOLIX backup powering it all.