Nearly six years after opening as rentals, 73 Monte Vista Villas units in Union City are up for sale as condos.

Built in 2001, the project included not only the condos but also townhouses, which were sold right away.

However, the developer, Pinn Bros., intended to sell the condos eventually and therefore built them to condo standards, a spokeswoman said.

As the leases neared expiration, Pinn Bros. received approval to convert the rentals to condos. The renovated units went on the market in September.

The project includes three floor plans: the one-bedroom, one-bath Ventura, with prices starting at $354,000; the two-bedroom, two-bath Montalvo, with prices starting at $454,000; and the three-bedroom, two-bath Montecito.

The Montecito won’t be available until February, when the price is expected to be in the mid-$500,000s, a sales agent said.

All of the plans include a one-car garage with finished interior. Ground-floor units have direct access to their garages; second- and third-floor residents have to go outside and use the stairs.

All three plans come with General Electric stainless steel appliances, including the refrigerator, full-size washer and dryer in the laundry area, wall-mounted air conditioning, ClosetMaid closet shelving, blinds and thermostat-controlled electric heaters with blowers in each room.

With about 1,000 to 1,025 square feet, the midsize Montalvo plan is efficiently designed.

The front door opens to a small, tiled entry right next to the dining area, which has access to the kitchen.

In ground-floor units, the galley-style kitchen has a wall of cabinets angling toward an open storage area and the door to the garage and laundry area. In upstairs units, the kitchen is squared off with the laundry area at the far end.

The kitchen has a pass-through to the living room, which opens to a patio or balcony with an exterior storage closet. The air-conditioning unit is mounted on the exterior wall next to the patio door. Although it probably will keep the living areas cool, one wonders how the bedrooms will fare.

The bedrooms are on opposite sides of the living room. However, the bathroom serving the second bedroom opens directly toward the living room — it does double duty as a guest bathroom, but its conspicuous location isn’t conducive to privacy.

There’s a coat closet across from the bathroom. The roomy second bedroom has a closet with sliding doors all along one wall.

The walk-in closet in the master bedroom is located conveniently between the sleeping area and the bathroom, which has a single sink, toilet and tub/shower.

Opposite the door to the master bedroom is a built-in desk that can accommodate a telephone and computer.

Homeowner dues of about $320 a month include use of a playground plus a large recreation center with a fitness center, business center and lounge with kitchen and wide-screen TV. Next to the center are a swimming pool and sun deck.

Just off Alvarado-Niles Road, the project has easy access to BART, Interstate 880 and the Dumbarton Bridge. Several shopping areas are nearby.

Incorporated in 1959, Union City represents a merger of the communities of Alvarado, Decoto and New Haven. It had a population of slightly more than 69,000 in 2005.

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Monte Vista VillasCity: Union City

Developer: Pinn Bros.

Model: Montalvo

Price: From $454,000

Square footage: 1,000-1,025

Price per square foot: $442.92-$454

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 2

Parking: 1-car garage

Monthly homeowner dues: About $320

Sales office hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Tuesday

Address: 35500 Monterra Terrace

Phone: (510) 324-3440

Web: www.montevistaliving.com

E-mail Judy Richter at jarichter@earthlink.net.

Source:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/04/REG2ONR7U41.DTL