Community showcases builder's home options

By Suzanne Monson
Special to New Homes

AUBURN -- With scenes of Mount Rainier as its backdrop and framed by acres of wetlands, lush green parks and open spaces, The Bridges embraces its natural surroundings indoors and out.

The collection of two-level homes hosts its first summer tours this weekend of 11 new-to-the-Northwest designs by Australia-based builder MainVue Homes.

"It's getting quite the buzz," says sales consultant Marc Davidson. "Friends are telling other friends, and that really validates the uniqueness of these homes."

By offering Australian home designs with signature outdoor rooms in a master-planned community offering quick connections to Highways 18, 167 and Interstate 405, The Bridges has already captured the attention of spring homebuyers, says sales consultant Jennifer Clarke.

"Now that we have homeowners who have started moving in, The Bridges is transforming from a development into a real community," she says. "Neighbors are putting their own personal touches on their homes, and it's giving it a real neighborhood feel."

Located on Auburn's Lea Hill, the community has walking trails, a children's playground, and tennis and basketball courts. There are plans for an off-leash dog park and community retail hub.

"[Residents] love the idea of a planned retail community, where they can bump into their neighbors, meet new people who live in the area, and enjoy a place where they can hang out and mingle with people who have similar interests," Clarke says.

She says the homes' signature outdoor rooms have attracted both first-time and move-up homebuyers.

"What you'll find at The Bridges that you just don't see in other places is a true outdoor room," Clarke says. "It is more than just a deck or covered patio. It's a second living room that's outside. If there's one thing that homebuyers believe is universally wonderful at The Bridges, it's the openness of this outdoor space."

Outdoor rooms are surrounded by the house on two or three sides and covered by the roof. One or two wall-size sliding glass doors open to the outdoor room, and flow-through flooring connects to adjacent indoor spaces.

"It's the ideal place to relax after work with a bottle of wine, or try some neat gardening ideas," Clarke says. "It's meant to be another living area, not like decks that you might find in a typical square house.

"We love it when our homeowners tell us what they're doing with their outdoor rooms. A lot of people are accessorizing it with indoor/outdoor furniture, with outdoor heaters and with fireplaces," she says.

A popular choice among the 11 completed model homes at The Bridges features the Lexington floor plan. The four-bedroom, 2,440-square-foot home has a twin-column front porch that leads to a designer glass-panel entry door that opens into a foyer.

Inside, the entertainment-ready space on the main level includes a fireplace in the great room and a kitchen island with granite or Caesarstone countertop.

The Lexington has one of the community's largest kitchens, which includes a butler's pantry and deep backsplash windows.

Clarke says the multipurpose room "has become one of the main selling features here. It's the perfect children's playroom, the perfect adult office, the perfect extra space -- exactly what you want it to be for exactly how you live."

On the second level, an open leisure space is located at the top of the staircase. The owner's en suite includes a walk-in closet and master bath. Nearby, there are three more bedrooms.

All homes at The Bridges have up to $65,000 in upgrades, including Grohe "silk-move" plumbing fixtures and four-piece Frigidaire stainless steel kitchen appliances. Lots include fencing and landscaping.

Green River Community College, Lea Hill Elementary and Auburn Mountainview High School are within blocks of the entrance to The Bridges.