Lantern Village Association

Pride Award Winner--Multi-Family

Summer Pride Award Winner

Outstanding Multi-Family Property
33741 El Encanto Avenue

Like many neglected properties in the Lantern Village, Ian and Nicole Parker’s four-unit apartment building on the corner of El Encanto and Selva Road was “VERY beat up” when they bought it in 1999. But the young couple was looking for a “fixer-upper” and was ready to take on the task of doing just that. Nicole grew up in Dana Point and teaches kindergarten at R.H. Dana Elementary. Ian is a real estate appraiser who wants to become a developer, starting with his own building. After some of the high-density tenants moved out, Ian and Nicole began fixing up the units one at a time, starting with the two-bedroom apartment they currently occupy. “We closed escrow exactly one month before our wedding” says Nicole, “Uncles, moms, dads, step-moms…Everybody was working on the unit!” Aside from a little professional help with the electrical and plumbing, and a new roof and exterior paint, the Parkers have done all the work themselves. While no structural remodeling was required, the decks had to be replaced, along with all the carpets, doors, vanities and most of the appliances. The complete renovation of the entire building took about a year.