Everything’s smart these days – people’s phones, their watches, even their homes.

But if you are in the midst of consulting with a trusted mortgage consultant team and are just starting on your journey to finance your home, then getting smart home technology (such as the Nest Thermostat or even just Amazon Echo and Alexa) is probably not in your list of top priorities.

Make no mistake, however — it’s already almost impossible to not incorporate some form of smart technology into your home – even just your smartphones or tablets are already part of the trend.

“Smart tech is convenient and usually energy efficient, and in lieu of being “smart,” usually does the role of regular tech more efficiently and effectively.”

In 2016, Amazon Echo sales doubled to 5.2 million units compared to the previous year – and it’s only predicted to increase. Alexa has received around 250,000 marriage proposals from curious users, too.

The future is “smart,” and you shouldn’t balk at smart tech just because. In fact, these technologies could make your home that much smarter and more energy efficient, saving you money in the process:

Nest Thermostat

Nest is up to its third generation of learning thermostats.

These are auto-scheduling, auto-away thermostats that regulate room temperature the smart way, even offering remote operation features that make sure temperature controls are always at your fingertips. It’s so smart, you’ll hardly need to physically touch your thermostat anymore.

Better yet, it works with nearly all 24V heating and cooling systems, so compatibility isn’t a problem. It works well with Amazon Echo as well.

Philips Hue White Dimming Bulb

Smart lighting, anyone?

Philips Hue White Dimming Bulb is a “natural light” bulb that can be dimmed to lower brightness settings to conserve energy when possible.

The bulb is entirely plug and play – just screw it onto your outlets and the included remote does the turning on, off, and dimming for you.

Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller

Control your sprinkler systems via Wi-Fi and save up to 50% of your watering bills.

Rachio doesn’t even need its own remote – you can use your laptops or smartphones to adjust watering amounts and schedule watering times. Rachio also receives weather updates and automatically adjusts watering schedules to suit the climate.

Indeed, CNBC said 2017 is the “year of the smart home.” And so long as you choose your smart tech the way you choose your mortgage groups – through a stringent background check factoring in customer reviews and other research – you’ll be able to reap the benefits of smart tech without thinking you’re priorities aren’t straight.

Choosing smart home technology is as easy as choosing a mortgage lender. Trust Golden Eagle Mortgage to give you the best rates and help you get your dream home.