Decisions, decisions

[Mr. Gibbage <MrGibbage@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm building a new house.  Well, I am having one built by a builder in
a residential area, where he is building several houses.  The bottom
line is, they really don't like the future owners "working" on site.
Walking around, taking pictures, and checking up on things is ok, but
if I were to bring a bunch of tools and cables, they'd have a problem
with that.  So...

I would like to jump into the HA pool and get my feet wet.  I have
been lurking here for a few days, and see that I have many, many
options.  I think that the only thing I know for sure is that I won't
go with X-10.  But I sure can't decide which way I will go.  It will
be self-installed.  I am pretty handy with tools, so I feel that I can
handle anything that is considered "end-user" installable.  I have
searched this group for the word "comparison", and have not really
found a good site or post that compares and contrasts the many
different options.

Firstly, I want to control my lights.  Just a few simple scenes should
take care of things.  Ultimately, I'd like to get into HVAC, sound,
security and computer/web controls.

Suggestions?

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