With the first model home expected to be complete by the end of February, Georgetown Heights has seen progress since breaking ground in November.

Georgetown Heights, located generally at 512 Northwood Drive, is being developed by the Wan Bridge Group, a Houston-area builder and operator that has specialized in build-to-rent properties since 2016.

“We saw a huge demand for build-to-rent communities in Central Texas,” Wan Bridge CEO Ting Qiao said. “The Austin market is one of the hottest, if not the hottest housing market, in the U.S.”

With several existing communities in Houston and Dallas, Wan, Qiao saw Georgetown as an opportunity to expand.

“With Georgetown being first, we have seven or eight other potential projects in our Austin pipeline,” Qiao said. “This represents 40%-50% of our entire market space.”

Georgetown Heights will offer 50 pet-friendly, two-story, single-family, duplex-style homes with access to traditional amenities, such as a dog park and a playground.

“Amenities are selected based on individual market and preferences,” Qiao said.

Due to material and labor shortages, Wan Bridge is unable to forecast a timeline for the project's completion.

“Labor and supply shortages have been a big headache for the industry, but the fundamental challenge is meeting workload and market demands,” Qiao said. “Our solution is to be strategic, pay people on time, treat our new and past contractors fairly, uphold our relationships and our reputation."



Editor's note: The story was updated to reflect that Georgetown Heights is not the community's first build-to-rent neighborhood.