Avante hosts grand opening at Ashbrook

     Avante Homes is celebrating the grand opening of its Ashbrook neighborhood today and next weekend.
      Buyers will have a choice of several incentives during the kick-off celebration, including an appliance package and $500 towards closing costs through a builder-approved lender. The first five buyers will receive upgraded padding for their carpeting at no extra charge.
      Refreshments will be served at the grand opening festivities, and the newly completed models will be open.
      Additionally, the builder is negotiating a partnership with Lied Middle School. The builder has agreed to grant several "wishes" to enhance the school adjoining Meadow Ridge, the planned community where the neighborhood is located.
      "The location of Ashbrook directly across from Lied Middle School made the partnership a logical way to enhance the community surrounding Ashbrook. ... By `adopting' the school and volunteering to donate items the school wished to have for the campus, but budget did not allow for, we are reaching out and filling a need in the community. Many of our homeowner's children will attend school there, and our efforts can only benefit the neighborhood as a whole," said Dave Ober, vice president of sales and marketing for the builder.
      Patrice Johnson, principal of Lied Middle School, is negotiating with Dave Ober, vice president of sales and marketing for the builder, on specific wish-list items. Among them are landscaping features such as a compass cemented into one of the quads.
      "All of us at Lied were so excited when Avante Homes approached us to create this partnership," Johnson said. "Corporate involvement in the schools is so beneficial to the students; by having a company endow us with equipment we would have to use budget dollars for, we can put funds towards enrichment and academic programs for the students. The students also see business in a new way, and learn that giving back to the community is important. We look forward to working together on several projects in the future."
      The three floor plans at the neighborhood were designed with input from homeowners at the builder's other developments.
      The Chestnut, a 1,535-square-foot, single-story home, provides three bedrooms, or two bedrooms and a den; two baths; and a great room with a country kitchen and breakfast bar.
      Another single-story home, the Mahogany, measures 1,745-square-foot home and features three bedrooms, or two bedrooms with a den option; two baths; and separate living and family rooms. The country kitchen features a preparation island.
      The Sequoia, a 2,008-square-foot design, offers four bedrooms, including a downstairs bedroom with an adjacent bath, and a separate formal living area.
      Standard features include tile foyers, two-car garages and gas fireplaces in the family rooms. All owner bedrooms and family rooms are prewired for ceiling fans. All owner baths feature dual vanities, separate showers and tubs, and walk-in closets.
      Exteriors include ground-mounted air-conditioning units, concrete-tile roofs, block walls, and a choice front-yard landscaping packages with irrigation.
      Prices start from the high $120,000s.
      To visit, take Jones Boulevard to Tropical Parkway, then head east to Bradley Road. Head north, past Bullring Lane, and follow the signs.
      Models are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.