LYNNWOOD – This suburban city now has something in common with San Francisco: painted ladies of a sort.

“It reminds me of the Victorian row houses in San Francisco – the painted ladies,” said Glen Stutz, site manager of Parkview Village for Prudential Northwest Realty. “They (the developer and builder) wanted to do something unique and eye-catching.”

Indeed, drivers headed south on I-5 just north of Lynnwood see the detached condo development as a blur of color: bright garnet and rich forest green. Many of the prospective buyers wandering through Parkview Village’s two model homes last weekend said the colors, three-story architecture and location attracted their attention. And the design and price held it.

“The value and quality for the price range is great,” said Lana Dawning of West Seattle. “We’re looking at it as a possible investment property.”

“It’s kind of unique in its layout and design. It’s refreshing,” added Joe Dawning. “It would be good for a bunch of roommates.”

Built by Mike Walker of Walker Homes for developer Mark McNaughton, Parkview Village contains 36 free-standing, three-story condos. Buyers own all of the interior and exterior of their homes and the land they sit on. Each home has a small fenced area off the front, for which the owner is responsible.

Inside, the homes all have rounded corners, designer touches, gas fireplaces, plenty of energy-efficient windows, abundant storage space and multizoned thermostats with wall-mounted radiant water heating.

The smaller of the two models offers 1,592 square feet starting at $255,000. The garage and a small sitting room with built-in shelving make up the first floor. A formal living room, opening onto a balcony, a kitchen, a bedroom and one of three bathrooms occupy the second floor. The third consists of a master bedroom with bathroom and an additional bedroom and bathroom.

Starting at $290,000, the 1,745-square-foot model has a more open floor plan, with a small foyer, comfy living room, large kitchen and powder room on the first floor. The stairs lead to all three bedrooms, including a master suite that sports a walk-in closet with a window, and two additional bathrooms on the second floor. A spacious loft with skylight tops it off.

A homeowners association, for which each resident pays $638 a month, is responsible for maintaining all other landscaping, sewer and drainage infrastructure, roads and community space, including a small tot lot. Built in several rows, the house fronts face each other. Garages built to the side or rear of the homes create intermittent alleys.

Stutz said Walker and McNaughton wanted the homes to have attractive faces and foster interaction among neighbors. One recent buyer, 24-year-old Emily McNaughton, likes the neighborhood layout.

“It has a good community feel the way it’s designed,” she said, having just introduced herself to a neighbor and his young daughters. “The size and interior layout is also perfect for me. I don’t want to deal with a lot of yardwork and maintenance.”

McNaughton, the developer’s niece, added that the community’s location near a park-and-ride lot and I-5 and I-405 was key. She also liked that careful attention to insulation during construction makes her home impervious to traffic noise with the doors and windows shut.

To meet Snohomish County requirements and attract buyers, Walker used triple-pane vinyl windows in all the homes. The builder also added extra roofing material and extra layers of gypsum board to the interiors and exteriors of the homes closest to I-5.

Emily McNaughton isn’t alone in finding Parkview Village appealing enough to snap up. After only a short time on the market, Prudential has sold half of the Parkview homes, including many still in the final stages of construction. Four were occupied as of last week.

“They offer people the opportunity to get into a new home they own for under $300,000, and they’re unique in design and color and right by the freeways,” Stutz said. “They’re attracting a lot of attention.”

While there are no dining, shopping or other services within walking distance of Parkview Village, many of the people visiting the condos said they would consider the proximity to a park-and-ride, the freeways and Alderwood mall more convenient than where they now live.

Kristin Fetters-Walp is a Lake Stevens freelance writer.