From: Alex Rivera <alex.rivera@example.com>
To: Priya Shah <priya.shah@example.com>
Subject: Re: Home-automation hub for the new place
Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:42:18 -0400

Hi Priya,

I looked into the home-automation hub options last night, and I think the HomeBridge Core is probably the safest pick for the new place. It supports Matter, Zigbee, and Z-Wave out of the box, so we would not be locked into one brand of switches, sensors, or thermostats.

The main thing I like is that it can keep automations running locally if the internet drops. That should cover the basics like hallway lights, leak sensors, door contact sensors, and the thermostat schedule without depending on a cloud service.

The only downside is that the setup looks a little more involved than the smaller plug-and-play hubs. I am fine handling that part, though. If we order it this week, I can bring it over next Saturday and start with the entry sensors and living room lights.

> Do we need one hub for every room, or just one for the whole house?

Just one should be enough unless the detached garage has weak signal. We can add a powered repeater later if needed.

Alex