Blue Ridge Flats Apartments Austin Review: New Construction at $828/Month. Here’s Who Actually Qualifies.

A brand new apartment with granite counters, a kitchen island, and a walk-in shower for $828 a month. In 2026. That number sounds like a typo. It’s not. Blue Ridge Flats is a 321-unit income-restricted community in Manor that opened this year. After tracking Austin’s affordable housing inventory across 1,000+ properties for 14 years, I can tell you exactly why this property stands out. Most tax credit apartments in the Austin metro are 15 to 30 years old. This one has never been lived in. The finishes match what you’d see at a $1,600/month market rate property down the road.

But here’s what listing sites won’t tell you: there’s an income ceiling, not just a floor. You can earn too much to live here. And the management company just changed its name from Elmington to Bedrock in May 2026. That matters, and I’ll explain why below.

Quick Facts

The 4.3 Google rating looks solid on paper. But 21 reviews on a 321-unit property tells you something. This community is still filling up. Most of these reviews are from people who toured and signed, not from residents who’ve lived through a full lease cycle. There’s 1 additional review on Apartments.com (5.0, verified resident). Every other review platform has zero reviews. I’ll break down what that means below.

Best For

You earn between roughly $26,400 and $52,920 a year (single person). This is a 60% AMI property. That means there’s both a minimum income requirement and a maximum income cap. The window covers a lot of ground: retail, food service, warehouse, healthcare support, skilled trades. If you’re in that income range and want a brand new apartment instead of something built in 2003, Blue Ridge Flats is one of very few options in the Austin metro.

You have a large dog. The 175 lb weight limit with no breed restrictions is generous for any property. For a LIHTC property, it’s almost unheard of. Most tax credit communities either ban pets entirely or cap at 25 to 50 pounds. If you’ve got a Lab, a Shepherd, or any bigger breed and you’re also trying to stay within affordable housing pricing, your options in Austin basically come down to a handful of communities. Blue Ridge Flats is one of them. For other pet friendly options across Austin, check our guide to apartments that allow large dogs.

You need a three or four bedroom at LIHTC pricing. A three bedroom here starts at $1,599 base ($1,204/month net effective with the current special). A four bedroom starts at $1,849 base ($1,393 net effective). Three and four bedroom LIHTC units in new construction are hard to come by. Most LIHTC properties max out at two bedrooms.

You’re moving from out of state and need a landing spot. The $15 application fee is one of the lowest in Austin. Combined with a $0 admin fee and $0 security deposit for pets, your move in costs are low compared to most places.

Skip If

You make too much money. If a single person earns over $52,920/year, or a family of four earns over $75,600/year, you won’t qualify regardless of everything else on your application. That’s the 60% AMI cap.

You need walkable daily errands. Manor is car dependent. The nearest H-E-B is at 13100 FM 973, roughly 4 miles away. There’s a Walmart Supercenter in the area too, but nothing within walking distance. No coffee shops, no restaurants, no retail you can reach on foot. If you don’t have a car, daily life here is going to be tough.

You want a proven management track record at this specific property. Bedrock (formerly Elmington) manages over 30,000 apartments across 27 states. That’s a large portfolio. But at Blue Ridge Flats specifically, there’s less than a year of operating history and only 21 Google reviews. One reviewer brought up mold problems before units were even leased. Another warned about Elmington management. There isn’t enough history yet to know what living here long term looks like.

You need a washer and dryer in the unit. The apartments have fullsize connections, but you bring your own machines. That’s an added cost ($500–$1,200 for a used set, $1,000+ new) and you need to figure out getting them delivered on move in day. Not a dealbreaker for everyone, but it’s worth knowing before you show up with no way to do laundry.

Ready to See If Blue Ridge Flats Fits Your Situation?

I can tell you whether your income, credit, and rental history match this property’s screening before you spend the $15 application fee. If it doesn’t fit, I know which nearby communities have availability right now.

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Location Deep Dive

What’s Actually Nearby

Blue Ridge Flats sits on Wildhorse Ranch Trail in Manor, just off Highway 290 East. Manor is 12 miles northeast of downtown Austin. And it feels like it.

The closest grocery option is the H-E-B at 13100 FM 973, about 4 miles from the property. That store opened in October 2025. Big one. Pharmacy, curbside pickup, gas station, car wash. Before that store opened, grocery shopping meant a long drive. There’s a Walmart Supercenter in the area too.

Dining? Limited. There are a handful of local spots along 290, but you’re not walking to any of them from this address. La Mexicana Supermercado is a smaller grocery option closer to downtown Manor if you want something other than H-E-B.

The Austin to Manor Trail runs nearby, and East Metro Park has ball fields, soccer fields, basketball courts, and a swimming pool run by the YMCA. ShadowGlen subdivision has its own parks too.

Austin Community College’s Northridge Campus is about 10.5 miles away.

Transit? Basically nonexistent out here. CapMetro’s Highland Station is about 9.5 miles away. You need a car.

Commute Times

The commute reality: Highway 290 is your main route in and out, and it gets packed during peak hours. If you work in northeast Austin (Samsung, Dell corridor), the commute is manageable. Downtown is a different story. That 20 minute off peak drive can double during rush hour.

The Neighborhood

Manor is a small city that’s been growing fast. Population was about 13,650 at the 2020 census, and a lot of new housing has gone up since then. Wildhorse Ranch Trail is in a newer part of town where most of the building happened between 2021 and 2026.

The area around you is mostly other apartment communities and newer housing. This isn’t a walkable neighborhood. You’re trading location for lower costs and newer buildings. And if you’ve priced out central Austin but still want something built this decade, Manor is where the math starts working. Our Northeast Austin apartments guide covers the broader area in detail.

Pricing and True Cost

Floor Plans

Every unit here is income-restricted at the 60% AMI level. ADA units and units built for hearing or vision needs come in 2BR, 3BR, and 4BR at the same square footage. All units include fullsize washer/dryer connections.

With 82 units still available, you can tell this property is still filling up. On a community this size, that’s roughly 25% vacancy. Not alarming for a brand new property in lease-up. But it does mean you have room to negotiate, and it explains why the concessions are as big as they are.

Net Effective Rent Calculation

Apartments.com and Rent.com both show 3 months free on a 12 month lease as of September 2026. Here’s the math:

1BR/1BA at $1,099 base rent:

• Lease term: 12 months = 365 days
• Free rent: 3 months = 90 days
• Daily multiplier: (365 – 90) ÷ 365 = 0.7534
• Net effective: $1,099 × 0.7534 = $828/month
• Monthly savings: $271/month vs. base rent
• Annual savings: $3,252 in year one

2BR/2BA at $1,349 base rent:

• Net effective: $1,349 × 0.7534 = $1,016/month
• Monthly savings: $333/month

3BR/2BA at $1,599 base rent:

• Net effective: $1,599 × 0.7534 = $1,204/month
• Monthly savings: $395/month

The locator database still shows an older offer of 2.5 months free. Apartments.com and the property website both show 3 months free as of September 2026. The concession got bigger as the property kept trying to fill up. I’m using 3 months for all the math in this article. But confirm the exact number in writing before you sign anything.

Fee Breakdown

Required Fees (everyone pays):

Optional Fees (if applicable):

True Monthly Cost Scenario

A renter in a 2BR/2BA ($1,349 base) with one pet:

The gap between advertised rent ($1,349) and true monthly cost ($1,374) is small here. Unusual. Most properties stack $50 to $150 in mandatory monthly fees on top of rent. The $0 admin fee and included trash keep the true cost close to what’s advertised. And that $15 application fee? One of the lowest I’ve tracked in this market.

Want to Compare This Property’s True Cost to Nearby Options?

I track pricing on three nearby competitors: Wildhorse Flats ($995–$1,905), Reserves at Las Entradas ($1,269–$2,249), and Alta Wildhorse Ranch ($1,150–$2,690). Some are market rate, some have income caps. I can break down which ones fit your budget and screening profile.

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Screening Criteria

Blue Ridge Flats is a LIHTC (Low-Income Housing Tax Credit) property. So the screening works differently than a regular apartment. Here’s what that means for you.

Income Requirements: Floor AND Ceiling

Unlike market rate apartments that only care whether you earn enough, tax credit properties also cap how much you can earn. So your household income has to land in a specific range. Too low and you can’t cover rent. Too high and you don’t qualify.

Income Floor (minimum to qualify):

Nobody publishes a specific income multiplier for this property. I checked the property website, Apartments.com, and every listing site. Wildhorse Flats next door (same management company) doesn’t publish one either. For LIHTC properties in this market, expect 2x to 2.5x the monthly rent as a minimum. Call the leasing office at (737) 355-5830 to confirm before you apply.

Income Ceiling (maximum to qualify):

At 60% AMI, the income caps are based on household size. Here’s what the property listed on Apartments.com:

These numbers change every year when HUD puts out new limits. Call the leasing office or check the TDHCA income and rent limits page for the most current figures.

What You’ll Need for Your Application

Tax credit applications ask for more paperwork than a standard apartment. Per Bedrock’s FAQ, you’ll need:

• Proof of income (recent pay stubs or award letters)
• Proof that everyone listed on the lease actually lives there
• Government-issued ID
• Social Security numbers for everyone in the household

They go deeper on income verification than a regular apartment would, so expect the application process to take a bit longer.

Credit and Background

The property doesn’t publish a credit score minimum or background check policy anywhere I could find. I checked Apartments.com, ApartmentFinder, Zillow, Homes.com, Rent.com, and the Bedrock FAQ. Nothing. Tax credit properties sometimes screen differently than regular apartments. Call the leasing office at (737) 355-5830 to ask about credit and background requirements before applying.

Full-Time Student Rule

This is a tax credit rule that catches people off guard. If every member of your household is a full time student, you may not qualify. The exceptions: married filing joint, single parents, students getting TANF, or students in a job training program. One household member working and not enrolled full time covers it.

Here’s what separates working with a locator from applying blind: I can tell you whether your income falls within the window for Blue Ridge Flats before you spend $15 finding out. If your income is above the cap, I know which market rate properties nearby have similar specials. If your income is below the floor, I know which properties have lower income thresholds or different AMI tiers.

Resident Reviews Decoded

I checked every review platform I could find: Google, Apartments.com, Yelp, ApartmentRatings, ApartmentFinder, ApartmentHomeLiving, Rent.com, Zillow, Homes.com, Facebook, ModernMsg, Birdeye, VeryApt. Blue Ridge Flats has 21 Google reviews (4.3 rating) and 1 Apartments.com review (5.0, verified resident).

That’s it. Every other platform either has a listing with zero reviews or doesn’t have a page for this property yet.

22 total reviews across every platform on a property with 321 units. That’s barely anything to go on.

What the Reviews Actually Tell Us

Staff names that keep coming up: Kathy (mentioned in 4 reviews), David in maintenance (2 reviews), plus Ailem, Affany, Tedra, and Christina (the onsite manager). When the same names keep showing up in different people’s reviews, the leasing team is doing something right. Kathy in particular gets called out for personality and customer service across multiple reviews.

David in maintenance shows up in two different reviews for being fast and explaining what he was doing. One resident called emergency after-hours maintenance, and David got there quickly. For a new property, that’s a good sign.

The two negative signals on Google: One reviewer (Jules M, 6 months ago) posted a 1 star review saying to avoid Elmington Property Management. No specifics given. Another reviewer (Jade Ish, 11 months ago) brought up mold problems that were reported before the first tenants moved in and asked whether it was properly cleaned up. The property didn’t give a real answer to either one.

Bedrock/Elmington’s broader track record: The BBB has complaints against Elmington Property Management. One came from a renter at Yager Flats (another Elmington/Bedrock property in Austin) who said their application was denied without being offered the third-party guarantee option. Communication was poor. Another BBB complaint at a different Elmington property said the AC was down for six weeks and never got fixed. Employee reviews on Indeed are mixed: some praise the company culture, others call out poor management and lack of follow through. That’s not specific to Elmington. Large management companies with 30,000+ units always have a mix. But it’s context worth knowing before you sign.

Management response pattern: Bedrock responds to every Google review. The responses use the reviewer’s name but follow a template. They asked the dissatisfied reviewer (James No) to call them. The mold question from Jade Ish went unanswered publicly.

What’s missing from these reviews: Long-term resident feedback. Almost every review is from someone who toured or just signed a lease. Nobody’s posted about what it’s like to live here through a summer, deal with a billing dispute, or renew a lease yet. That kind of feedback takes 12 to 18 months to show up.

The Uncomfortable Truth

No listing site will write this section. I’m not trying to kill the deal. I want you to know what you’re signing up for.

You’re the Beta Test

Blue Ridge Flats opened in 2026. That means every system in this building is being tested under real conditions for the first time. Plumbing under full occupancy. HVAC during an Austin summer. Parking lot drainage during heavy rain. Elevator reliability. The pool and fitness equipment under daily use. New construction eliminates problems you’d see at older properties (old pipes, outdated wiring, appliances that have seen better days). But new construction comes with its own question marks. Warranty claims, stuff the builder didn’t finish, settling issues. All normal in year one. The question is how fast management handles them when they come up.

The Management Company Just Changed Its Name

Elmington Property Management rebranded to Bedrock in May 2026. Same leadership, same teams, same owner. But the email address for Blue Ridge Flats still shows blueridgemgr@elmingtonliving.com. When one reviewer warned about Elmington and another asked about mold issues before leasing, neither one got a real answer. Bedrock manages over 30,000 apartments across 27 states and ranks No. 41 on the NMHC Top 50 Managers list. Big company. But big companies aren’t always the same quality at every property, and the track record at Blue Ridge Flats specifically is too new to judge.

25% Vacancy Means You’re in an Active Lease-Up

With 82 of 321 units available, the property is roughly 75% occupied. That means you might hear construction finishing on empty units. Marketing events. Constant tour traffic through the hallways. And every one of your neighbors moved in within the same few months, so the community hasn’t settled into a routine yet. The aggressive concession (3 months free) is a lease-up incentive. Once the property stabilizes, that special will shrink or disappear. If you’re locking in now, you’re getting the best pricing this property will likely ever offer.

The Concession Numbers Still Don’t Match Everywhere

Apartments.com, Rent.com, and the property website all show 3 months free. The locator database shows 2.5 months free. Redfin was showing 8 weeks free. Three different numbers were floating around at the same time. I’m using 3 months free for the math in this article because that’s what the property is advertising directly. But before signing, confirm the exact concession in writing and make sure it matches your lease.

Ready to Move Forward, or Want to See Alternatives?

If Blue Ridge Flats fits your situation, I can walk you through the LIHTC application process and help you get the paperwork together. If the income caps don’t work or you want a market rate comparison, I track three properties within a mile of here.

Get Your Free Apartment Match

FAQ

Is Blue Ridge Flats income-restricted?

Yes. All units are set at 60% AMI under the LIHTC program. You don’t need a Section 8 voucher, though the property does accept them.

What’s the income limit for Blue Ridge Flats?

For a single person, the cap is $52,920/year. For a family of four, $75,600/year. These change annually. Check TDHCA or call (737) 355-5830 for current figures.

Does Blue Ridge Flats accept large dogs?

Yes. Two pets max with a 175 lb weight limit and no breed restrictions. Aggressive breeds need a pet interview. Expect $350 non-refundable fee plus $25/month pet rent per pet. You’ll also need to do a pet screening through a third party.

How new is Blue Ridge Flats?

Built in 2026. It’s one of the newest apartment communities in the Manor/East Austin area.

Who manages Blue Ridge Flats?

Bedrock Property Management, formerly known as Elmington Property Management. The rebrand happened in May 2026. Same team, same leadership.

What school district is Blue Ridge Flats in?

Manor Independent School District. Assigned schools: Lagos Elementary, Decker Middle, Manor High.

Is there a waiting list at Blue Ridge Flats?

No. The property has 82 units available and is still in lease-up.

What’s the commute from Blue Ridge Flats to downtown Austin?

20 to 25 minutes off peak. 35 to 50 minutes in rush hour via Highway 290.

Does Blue Ridge Flats have in unit laundry?

Fullsize washer/dryer connections in every unit, but you bring your own machines. Shared laundry rooms are also on site.

How much is the application fee at Blue Ridge Flats?

$15 per person with a $0 admin fee. Most properties charge $50 to $75 for the application alone.

The Bottom Line

Blue Ridge Flats solves a specific problem: new construction at tax credit pricing. That combination barely exists in Austin. Most tax credit inventory is 15 to 30 years old with dated finishes and maintenance that’s been put off for years. This property? Granite counters. Kitchen islands. Walk-in showers. Vinyl flooring. And a $15 application fee. The net effective rent on a one bedroom drops to $828/month with the current concession. Hard to match at this build quality anywhere in the metro.

The tradeoff is Manor. You’re 12 miles from downtown with no transit access and limited walkability. You need a car for everything. The management company just rebranded, the review base is thin, and no one has lived here long enough to tell you what renewal looks like. The concession numbers don’t match across platforms, and that needs to get sorted before you sign anything.

This property makes sense if:

• Your income falls within the 60% AMI window and you want the newest possible apartment at that pricing
• You have a large dog and have been shut out of LIHTC communities with strict pet policies
• You work in northeast Austin (Samsung, Dell corridor, Manor area) and want a short commute
• You need a three or four bedroom at LIHTC rates

This property doesn’t make sense if:

• You earn above the income cap and can’t qualify regardless of everything else
• You need walkable errands, dining, or transit access
• You want a property with several years of resident reviews behind it
• You want a washer and dryer included in the unit, not just connections

My honest take: the year one math here is hard to argue with for the right income bracket. If you qualify, this is likely the best value in new construction you’ll find in the Austin metro right now. Lock in the concession while they’re still filling units, because these specials won’t last once the property stabilizes. Just make sure you confirm exactly which concession you’re getting before you sign.

Need Help?

If Blue Ridge Flats looks like the right fit, I can help you pull together the LIHTC paperwork and check whether your income falls in the window before you apply. If it doesn’t fit, I track affordable apartments across Austin with no waiting lists, including properties at 30%, 50%, and 80% AMI tiers.

My service is free. I’m paid a referral fee from the property’s marketing budget. Your rent is the same whether you use a locator or apply directly.

If Blue Ridge Flats doesn’t pay a locator commission on your lease, I’ll tell you upfront. You can still call the property directly at (737) 355-5830 and schedule a tour on your own.

For apartments under $1,000 in Austin, the options are more limited than you’d think, but they exist. And if you’re dealing with a broken lease, eviction, or credit issues, our second chance apartments page covers which communities actually work with those situations.

Text me at 512-360-0852.