Where: 2451 Westlake Drive, Austin, 78746.
Agent: Susan Griffith, Amelia Bullock Realtors
Asking price: $835,000
What: This ornate two-bedroom condominium in a gated community next to Lake Austin has the elaborate appearance of a luxury hotel. Marble counters, Venetian plaster wall finishes, art niches, lighted glass-front cabinets and two porches with glimpses of the lake make it a beautifully decorated retreat.
This condo is part of the Orleans Harbor Lake Homes located at 2401-2605 Westlake Drive. This unit was built in 1977. In the early 2000s, it was owned and extensively remodeled by Jim Lindsey, the owner of Columbia Constructors. He redid the kitchen and bathrooms and replaced all the floors and walls.
In 2005 it was purchased by Tom and Judy Magazzine of Leesburg, Va., as a second home. Tom Magazzine develops and operates car washes. He founded Station Auto Wash, a 14,000-square-foot car wash center designed to look like a Victorian train station, in Virginia. The couple bought the condo to be nearer to their grandchildren, who live in Austin.
"To have a home so tastefully done, it's been a pleasure," Magazzine says by phone from Leesburg. "It's very nice in the evening to walk out to the lake, or to sit out and relax on the balcony. It's very quiet."
The couple also enjoyed how little maintenance they had to do because it's a condo. "It's an amazing lock-and-go property," he says.
The Magazzines are selling the condo because they are traveling a lot and not using the condo as much as they thought they would, he says.
The condos at Orleans Harbor surround a small cove. There are many docking spaces for boats in the harbor. Many of the owners frequently boat across Lake Austin to Hula Hut or Mozart's Coffee Roasters restaurants.
This condo has two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, two half-bathrooms and 2,319 square feet.
Amenities: The kitchen has a 60-bottle wine refrigerator and a walk-in pantry with antique doors inset with frosted glass. The kitchen features a large center island, glass-front cabinets, stainless-steel KitchenAid appliances, a warming drawer, an ice maker, tumbled marble backsplash, two dishwashers and a Sub-Zero refrigerator. This condo has an attached two-car garage; there is also plenty of outdoor parking for guests.
FYI: To enter the front door, you go through a picturesque, walled brick courtyard covered in vines. The front door opens to a foyer with a staircase. The first floor offers a media room with a stone floor and a full bar. This room opens to the covered patio outside, which is surrounded by a low brick wall and is next to a rock garden.
The first floor also holds a generously sized guest bedroom, full bathroom and walk-in closet, as well as a half-bathroom and the utility room. You reach the garage by going through the utility room.
The main living areas are on the second floor. The living and dining room are in one expansive space with the kitchen. The living room's French doors lead to the second-story balcony.
The master bedroom is down the hall from the kitchen. It has hardwood floors, plantation shutters, built-in bookshelves and a coffered ceiling with cove lighting. The master bathroom offers high ceilings, crown molding and an elegant walk-in closet with tall glass-fronted, lighted cabinets and many cherrywood drawers.
