Service area
Smart Home Installation on Key Biscayne
Kotoh Home installs private AI home assistants and smart home systems on Key Biscayne, built for an island where an evacuation order can mean leaving the house for days and checking on it from somewhere else.
One causeway, open water on every side
Key Biscayne is connected to the mainland by the Rickenbacker Causeway, about four miles long, which reaches the island by way of Virginia Key. The causeway opened in 1947, and that's when large-scale residential development began. The island incorporated as the Village of Key Biscayne on June 18, 1991, the first new city in Miami-Dade County in over 50 years, and had 14,809 residents at the 2020 census.
It is also low and exposed. The village sits about 3 feet above sea level, facing the Atlantic directly. The Village's own hurricane guide is blunt: Key Biscayne is in Evacuation Zone A, at greatest risk for storm surge from Category 1 and stronger storms, and residents must evacuate once the order is given. Hurricane Andrew in 1992 flooded some homes and businesses on the island, and a 2017 study found parts of the village could flood at high tide by 2045 as sea levels rise. In 2020, residents approved a $100 million bond for protection.
For a homeowner, that means two things: you may have to leave the house at short notice during a storm, and you'll want to know what's happening inside it while you're gone.
What we set up for Key Biscayne homes
Every Kotoh Home package includes a dedicated AI computer that lives in your home and belongs to you. You talk to it by text, and it talks to your devices. Here, we focus on:
- An evacuation routine. Set in advance and run with one message: thermostat to a safe setting, motorized shades and hurricane-rated shutters (if they're motorized) closed, doors locked, and a reminder list for anything that has to be done by hand.
- Water and leak sensors on floors, by the water heater, under sinks and near the AC air handler, with an optional automatic shutoff valve on the main.
- Humidity and temperature monitoring, so you know if the AC fails in a closed-up home during a hot, wet summer.
- Power and generator alerts, including whether a standby generator started.
- A post-storm report. As soon as power and internet are back, the assistant texts you a summary: temperature, humidity, any leak alerts and door status. That helps you decide what to check first when you're allowed back.
Our hurricane season smart home guide walks through storm prep in detail.
Seasonal homes and the people who look after them
If your home on the island is lived in for only part of the year, the assistant can give a property manager, cleaner or contractor a door code that works only for their visit, and log each entry to your messages. Combined with second-home monitoring, you can be away for months and still know the house is fine. Silence means the house is fine, not that nobody checked.
Condos and houses
For condos, we keep the setup inside your unit and on your own network. Check your association's rules before changing entry-door hardware or anything in common areas. For houses, we cover the whole property: network, outdoor lighting, gates, pool equipment and cameras where you want them. We favor indoor placement and coastal-rated equipment for anything that has to live outside in the salt air.
Private by design
The AI runs on the computer in your home. Your household details, routines and schedules are processed there, not by a cloud AI service. Messages travel through Apple's or Meta's encrypted networks depending on the app you use, and connected accounts like email and calendars stay with their providers.
Getting started
The walk-through is free, in person or by video if you're off the island. You'll get a fixed price before any work: Essentials $4,995, Smart Home $6,995 or Estate from $10,995, each including the AI computer. Care plans start at $149 a month and include updates and monitoring through every hurricane season. We also work in Miami Beach and Coral Gables and Coconut Grove.
Common questions
What does the system do if we have to evacuate?
Before you leave, it can run a storm routine you approved in advance: set the thermostat, close motorized shades and confirm the doors are locked. While you're away, it sends power, leak and temperature alerts whenever it has a connection, and a check-in report once power and internet are back.
Can it warn me about water coming into the house?
Yes. Water sensors on floors, by appliances and near the AC air handler text you the moment they detect water, and an optional automatic shutoff valve can close the main if a pipe leaks.
Do you work in Key Biscayne condos?
Yes. Most of the setup stays inside your unit. Check your association's rules before changing entry doors or anything in common areas, and we'll plan around them.
Will it work during a power outage?
Devices without power stop until power returns, but the AI computer and network can run on a battery backup long enough to alert you, and a generator can be connected so you know whether it started.
What does it cost?
Essentials is $4,995, Smart Home is $6,995 and Estate starts at $10,995, each including the dedicated AI computer you own. Care plans start at $149 a month.