5 High-Tech Smart Homes for the Super Rich

NEW YORK (MainStreet) -- Super-luxury estates don't just come with swimming pools and tennis courts these days, but also boast elaborate home theaters and special controls that can unlock doors or adjust thermostats even if you're halfway around the world.

"I'll walk into a dark house with a buyer, press one button and turn on the lights, the music and the home theater downstairs," says Debra Johnston, an Atlanta real estate agent who specializes in high-end properties. "The whole house is ready to go -- and the client can see that."

More and more high-end properties feature such "smart-home" technologies - professional-grade audio/video systems, plus lights, thermostats, window shades and more that you can control with an Apple (AAPL) iPad or other smart device.

Such systems not only let you to change the TV's channel remotely, but make it possible to check security cameras or open the front gate for a repairman even if you're thousands of miles away.

"You can automate pretty much anything in the house -- lights, audio, heat, air conditioning or the security system," Johnston says.

Here's a look at five of the poshest smart homes listed for sale on Realtor.com, the official site of the National Association of Realtors.

Oceanfront estate, Dana Point, Calif.
List price: $23 million
Listing agent: John Stanaland, Hom/Sotheby's International Realty, 949-342-3635

Located on the Pacific Ocean some 60 miles southeast of Los Angeles and 10 miles east of Catalina Island, this Tuscan-style estate boasts remote-controlled lights, drapes, audio/video and more.

A Crestron control system runs the built-in 60-inch built-in flat-panel TV and surround-sound system in the home's great room, as well as two flat-panel TVs and a ticker-tape display in the "sports room."

You can also control the property's security system/video cameras remotely, as well as a 15-zone audio system that features built-in speakers inside and out of the six-bedroom home.

But the estate's coolest feature is probably its home theater, which boasts a professional-grade video projector, a 160-inch screen and 11 reclining seats.

Located in a gated enclave next to a golf course and a Ritz-Carlton five-star resort, the spread also features 10 bathrooms, four fireplaces, two garages, two laundry rooms and a 1,500-bottle wine cellar.