by: Matthew Chin

WALNUT - The home of the future is on a cul-de-sac near Walnut High School. In fact there are five of them, all wired for broadband connections and other high-tech amenities.

TNT Development, an offshoot of a Walnut computer networking manufacturer and distributor, is making its first foray into home building with the Walnut Country home development, just off La Puente Boulevard. After years of building and maintaining computer networks for businesses, Tom Chung, president of Tri-Net Technology Inc., wanted to enter the home-building market -- merging the two business models, TNT spokesman Steven Haworth said.

A Chung-built home will be pre-wired for computer networking, home automation, security systems, remote monitoring and future expansion through fiber optic cables. Home automation means that several systems, like security and lighting, will work in conjunction, Haworth said. The homes' fiber optic cables will be at the ready when technology catches up to use its super speed, such as in on-demand video. Each main room in the house will have a six-plug multimedia outlet. The outlet consists of two coaxial cables for television sets, two Category 5 cables for phone and broadband Internet connections and two fiber optic cables, for use when home technology catches up to the capacity of such cables, Haworth said. Some rooms, such as the master bedroom, will have two such outlets. That means homeowners could have closed-circuit television to monitor a baby or equip a state-of-the-art home office, he said, "You could create all types of scenarios," Haworth said of the homes. For example, a homeowner could keep an eye on his or her home through security cameras while at work via a dedicated Web site and even remotely operate some functions such as opening a garage door. Inside the home, a DVD player could be hooked up to all the televisions, so a movie could be watched seamlessly while traveling from room to room, he said.

The homes, close to Walnut High School, will also include a central management center for automated security systems and monitoring home appliances. Homeowners can pick their own electronics setup of computer networks or buy a package from the builder. As the price for such technologies has dropped, it becomes much more feasible to build it into new homes, Haworth said. The homes are expected to be completed in June with price tags starting in the mid-$700,000s. The two-story homes will have a total living area of more than 4,000 square feet, with five bedrooms. They are on lots of up to 16,000 square feet. None of the homes has been sold, though several people have expressed interest in them,
Haworth said.

There has been a lot of interest from new home buyers for more high-tech gadgets and capabilities inside their homes, said John Karevoll, an analyst for La Jolla-based real estate research firm DataQuick Information Systems. "I think these guys are going to hit a home run," Karevoll said. A few years ago, the Silicon Valley saw a rush of new homes similarly wired, he said. Another city that has seen high tech in homes is Valencia. New homes there are hooked up with high-speed DSL lines through an agreement with community developer Newhall Land & Farming Co. and SBC Pacific Bell, Newhall Land spokeswoman Marlee Lauffer said.

Valencia's newest 800 homes, in the Bridgeport development, range from the low-$200,000s to more than $600,000 with sizes up to 3,785 square feet. Lauffer said while the fast Internet connection isn't the top priority for choosing a home, it is a bonus and predicted more new homes would go high tech. "It is an amenity that is high on the list as an added plus," Lauffer said. Tri-Net Technology started in 1992. It manufactures and supplies network electronics, cable assemblies, distribution panels and outlets, wiring hubs, racks, cable management, tools and test equipment. The company also includes the subsidiary TNT Precision Fabrication, a metal products manufacturer.