Publisher's Pick: Builder

In the world of national builders, Ashton Woods Homes stands out for market-specific creativity and buyer personalization. For proof, you need look no further than L:aureate Park, the east Orlando neighborhood adjacent to the Medical City campus.

Ashton Woods isn’t the only builder in Laureate Park. But it may have attracted the most attention with its cutting-edge designs and a particular home, known as “The Big Red House,” which can be best described as an homage to a Midwestern farmhouse painted in a punched-up color scheme.

The company’s Laureate Park offerings include single-family homes, in an array of styles as well as duplex lofts. All its Laureate Park homes are certified green and are branded with GE Ecomagination. It’s also a Platinum Level Environments for Living and Energy Star builder.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Ashton Woods has built award-winning, high-performance new homes for more than 20 years. Today, in addition to Orlando and Atlanta, the company builds in Austin, Charleston, Dallas, Houston, Killeen, Phoenix, Raleigh, San Antonio, Sarasota and Tampa.

Ashton Woods, which is ranked among the nation’s Top 10 privately owned builders, has also just been named the Most Trusted Builder in America by Lifestory Research. The researchers surveyed more than 21,500 new-home shoppers and 133 homebuilder brands in the top 27 housing markets in the U.S.

Ashton Woods’s Lifestory Research Net Trust Quotient Score (NTQS) was 111, placing it ahead of 132 other builders tracked. The study, in its first year, focuses on how brands influence home shoppers.

“We’ve seen a fundamental shift in consumer psychology,” says Lifestory Research President and CEO Eric Snider, referring to social media and the availability of information and opinions about companies. “As a result, brands have risen in importance in the purchase process.”

In addition to Laureate Park, Ashton Woods’ local projects include Ashlin Park and Carrington (Windermere), Copley Square and The Hamptons (Orlando) Fountain Parke (Lake Mary), Independence Estates and Oakland Park (Winter Garden) and Victoria Park (Deland). Prices range from the $230s to the $600s.

For more information, visit ashtonwoodshomes.com