Elegant condo in former Minnetonka office building could be yours for $379,900

Michael Underwood can't stand small spaces.

So when he and his wife, Kitty Underwood, searched for the perfect condo, they weren't having much luck at first. Many felt small and cramped and had tight parking spots.

"We had a 5,000-square-foot house by Medicine Lake. When all the four kids grew up and were gone, we wanted to downsize and wanted a condo," he said.

But when they toured a unit at Cloud 9 Sky Flats in Minnetonka with 6-foot-tall windows and above-the-trees views, they knew it was home. In a building that previously housed corporate offices, it not only had windows stretching the length of the living room and bedroom walls, but also 12-foot ceilings that gave the condo a sense of opulence.

Once they moved in, the two spent countless hours watching bright red and yellow sunsets, flashes of lightning during rain storms and leaves changing in the fall — all from the comfort of their living room and kitchen.

But Michael's favorite part about living in the 1,487-square-foot home? Spending quality time with Kitty.

"My wife and I were always together, didn't matter if it was in the living room looking out at the sunset or sitting around the fireplace," he said. "If you're close to your significant other, it's a good opportunity to spend a lot of time with each other."

Corporate luxuries

There are just some things that are built for corporate buildings that you don't see often in condos, Michael added.

One of the best amenities is the abundant parking spaces. There are so many, in fact, that the top floor of the parking ramp was converted into a deck equipped with grills. Each condo comes with two parking spaces, and there's a huge parking lot in the front and back of the building for guests.

"You think about how many people that would usually be working at a corporate office, they're going to have numerous parking spaces compared to a building originally built for condos because you're going to have clients coming in and out all day," he said. "The parking advantages of this building are really wonderful."

He has also appreciated the building's speedy elevators and elegant marble lobby. Within each unit, concrete ceilings and floors and double insulation in the walls provide privacy from neighbors, Michael added.

Sprucing up the place

The couple updated the home, highlighting its spaciousness, Michael said.

The Underwoods installed new kitchen counters, cabinets and appliances, and they had a small pantry built for more storage. An electric fireplace was installed in the living room and all of the light fixtures were updated. In the bathroom, they put in a backlit LED mirror and a luxurious panel of shower heads.

Now, after eight years, the Underwoods have listed the two-bedroom, two-bath home as they look forward to a new adventure and another place to spruce up.

"We love having something to work on. ...We can't wait to put our personality into [their new Hastings home] and it will be our first time with a pool," he said. "We've truly had an awesome time" in the condo.

Kristen Kregel (612-532-0843, kristen@cdre.biz) of Chasing Dreams Real Estate has the $379,900 listing.