The Evergreen at Whisper Valley Apartments Austin Review: Honest Review for Manor, TX Renters

A brand new 348-unit property in Manor with 103 vacant units, an attainable housing program, and a flooding problem nobody’s website mentions. I break down what’s actually going on at Evergreen at Whisper Valley so you can decide if the math works for your situation.

What You’re Looking At

When nearly a third of a brand new apartment community is sitting empty, I pay attention. The Evergreen at Whisper Valley opened in 2025 as the first apartment community inside the Whisper Valley master-planned development out in Manor, TX. On paper, the pitch sounds good: new construction, green certifications, solar and geothermal technology, and rent starting at $1,030 for a studio. I track pricing across the Austin metro daily (TX license #679806). And $1,030 for a 2025 build? That’s legitimately low.

But 103 of 348 units are available right now. That’s not a soft opening. The property has been leasing for close to a year. So what’s the catch? It starts with a zip code: 78653. That’s Manor, about 12 miles northeast of Austin, with a walkability score of 10 out of 100. And it gets more complicated from there.

Quick Facts

The 4.3 Google rating looks decent at first glance, but with only 30 reviews across a 348-unit property, that number can move fast in either direction. I’ll break down what those reviews actually say later in this article.

Best For

You work at Samsung, Tesla, or another preferred employer. They have a preferred employer program for Samsung, Tesla, SpaceX, Amazon, Oracle, HEB, and military. Samsung’s Austin fab on Samsung Blvd is about a 15 minute drive. Tesla Giga Texas is around 20 minutes. Those are short commutes by Austin standards. And if you qualify for the employer discount on top of rent that’s already low for new construction, the savings are real. Check our employer discount guide for how these programs work.

You need new construction on a tighter budget. Studios start at $1,030. One bedrooms start at $1,092. For a 2025 build with in-unit washer and dryer, granite counters, and stainless appliances, those numbers are well below what you’d pay for similar finishes closer to downtown.

You’re looking for attainable housing. Evergreen offers income restricted “AFF” units at reduced rents across every floor plan. The base prices on attainable units start in the same range as market rate, but the max rent is lower. So a one bedroom that might go up to $1,402 on the market rate side tops out around $1,250 on the attainable side. You have to apply in person at the leasing office, and you’ll need to prove your income.

You’re a remote worker who doesn’t commute daily. The property has a business center, conference rooms, built-in desks in select units, and community WiFi. If you only drive into Austin once or twice a week, being this far out is a lot easier to swallow.

Skip If

You commute to central Austin every day. You’re looking at 14+ miles to downtown, and that’s before rush hour. Apartments.com estimates 23 minutes to UT Austin in normal traffic. During morning rush on 290, you can double that. If daily commute time matters to you, look at communities in our East Austin guide for options closer in.

Walkability is important to you. This property scores 10 out of 100 for walkability. The nearest grocery store is a drive. The nearest shopping center is about 5 miles out. You need a car here. Period.

You need amenities on day one. Multiple residents report that the gym, clubhouse, and pool have all been closed at various points due to flooding damage. I’ll get into the details in the Uncomfortable Truth section. But if the pool and gym are part of your daily routine, ask the leasing office exactly what’s open before you sign.

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Location Deep Dive

What’s Actually Nearby

Evergreen sits inside the Whisper Valley development at the eastern edge of Manor, right off E Braker Lane. The development itself is surrounded by open land, trails, and the future 600-acre Whisper Valley Park along Gilleland Creek.

For daily errands, you’re driving. The nearest grocery options are about 5 miles west toward the center of Manor. Shadowview Shopping Center is roughly 5 miles and 8 minutes. Manor Commons is about the same distance. Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park, one of Austin’s larger green spaces, is about 5 miles and 9 minutes by car.

Restaurants and nightlife? Not walking distance. Manor has a small downtown strip with a few local spots, but for anything beyond that you’re heading toward Austin.

The property does sit near SH-130 and US 290, which gives you direct highway access in two directions. That helps if you’re commuting to Samsung’s fab off E Parmer or heading south toward Tesla.

Commute Math

The Samsung commute is the shortest and most straightforward via 130. Everything else funnels through 290, which backs up during rush hour. The airport drive is manageable but not quick.

Neighborhood Vibe

This is not Austin. It’s Manor. And Manor, while growing fast, is still a small suburb. It’s quiet out here. Several residents specifically mention that in their reviews. If you’re used to being able to walk to a coffee shop or grab dinner without getting in your car, this will feel isolated.

The Whisper Valley development itself is a master-planned community with trails, parks, and organic gardens. It’s designed for people who want green space and a slower pace. That’s a legitimate draw for the right renter. But if you picked Austin because you wanted to be near Rainey Street or South Congress, this isn’t the move.

Schools here are in Del Valle ISD. Joseph Gilbert Elementary rates a 4 out of 10 on GreatSchools. Dailey Middle School and Del Valle High School both rate 2 out of 10.

Pricing and True Cost

Floor Plans

That’s 18 floor plan variations when you count market rate and attainable separately. Which unit you get (and what floor it’s on) determines where you land in those price ranges.

Net Effective Rent

Their website calls the current pricing “all-inclusive pricing with built-in savings.” They also run the preferred employer program. Earlier in 2026, select units were running 2 months free, but that offer doesn’t show up on current listings. ApartmentList says the property isn’t offering rent specials as of August 2026. So what you see is probably close to what you pay. Call the leasing office at (737) 255-8419 to ask what’s actually running right now, especially on longer lease terms.

If you want to compare this property’s true cost against other options, use our net effective rent calculator.

Fee Breakdown

Required Fees (Everyone Pays)

Optional Fees

True Monthly Cost Scenario

Here’s what you’d actually pay each month if you took the most popular floor plan (A2, 1bd/1ba, 760 sqft) at the lowest market rate:

• Base rent: $1,166
• Pet rent (1 dog): $20
• Carport parking: $50
• True monthly cost: $1,236

That’s $70/month over advertised rent. Over a 13 month lease (the shortest option here), that’s $910 in costs the listing price doesn’t show. Not dramatic for a new build, but worth knowing before you budget.

One thing to flag: the $75 app fee plus $200 admin fee means you’re paying $275 before you even get keys. That’s exactly what reviewer Monique K was upset about when she felt misled about her approval chances.

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

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Screening Criteria

Income Requirement

The property requires 3x monthly rent in total household income (before taxes). Here’s what that looks like across the most common floor plans:

The 3x requirement is standard for a property at this price point. If you’re earning $15–$17/hour, even the studio at $1,030 will be tight. You’d need about $17.83/hour to hit the 3x threshold on the cheapest unit. If your income falls short, you can check our 3x rent calculator to see where you stand.

Credit and Background

This is where it gets murky. Evergreen doesn’t publish its screening criteria on its website or listing pages. But I pulled AOG Living’s standard rental criteria from another Texas property they manage, and it gives a pretty clear picture of how they screen:

Credit: AOG Living uses First Advantage screening reports. A score of 526 or above gets approved. Between 500 and 525 gets conditionally approved with a higher deposit. Below 499 gets declined.

Rental history: Eviction filings within the last 36 months will get you denied. Any debt owed to a previous apartment community within the last 24 months has to be paid in full.

Criminal background: Felony lookback is 10 years for most categories. Misdemeanor lookback is 5 years (10 years for violent or threatening offenses). Registered sex offenders get declined no matter how old the offense is. And you have to be done with probation or parole before you apply.

One important note: These thresholds come from a different AOG Living property, not Evergreen specifically. Evergreen’s standards could be stricter or more flexible depending on what they’ve set up at this location. Always confirm directly with the leasing office at (737) 255-8419 before you apply.

What I can confirm from the reviews: one applicant (Monique K) described being told “we should be able to work with you” after discussing her screening issues, then being denied after paying the $275 in fees. That’s a pattern I see at properties that review applications one by one but don’t spell out their standards up front.

What Gets You Denied

Without published criteria, I can’t give you an exact list. But for a new construction property at this price point, typical denial triggers include:

• Active property debt (money owed to a previous landlord)
• Evictions within the last 3 years
• Not enough income (below 3x rent)
• Certain felony convictions within the lookback period
• Fraudulent application information

If you have screening concerns, don’t guess. I pre-screen before you spend the $75 app fee. That’s the single biggest advantage of working with a locator on a property like this where the criteria aren’t published. If you have a broken lease or eviction history, I know which Austin area communities will work with your specific situation.

Application Process

1. Tour the property (in-person or virtual via Matterport 3D)
2. Apply online or at the leasing office. Attainable housing units need in person applications with income documentation
3. Screening takes 1–3 business days (typical for AOG Living properties)
4. If approved, pay the $500 deposit and $200 admin fee to secure your unit

For a walkthrough of how applications work across Austin, check our apartment application process guide.

Resident Reviews Decoded

I checked Google, Yelp, ApartmentRatings, Apartments.com, ApartmentList, Birdeye, VeryApt, ForRentUniversity, and the BBB. Here’s the reality: Google is the only platform with meaningful review data. Yelp has zero reviews. ApartmentRatings doesn’t have a listing. ApartmentList says they’re “collecting reviews.” Apartments.com has one verified resident review (5 stars, no detail). ForRentUniversity has one positive review. That’s it.

For a 348-unit property that’s been open about a year, having reviews on only one platform is normal for new communities. But it means the 30 Google reviews are carrying all the weight.

Take them seriously, but know the sample size is small.

Review Pattern Analysis

What’s Working

The leasing team gets called out by name again and again. Liliana (Lili), Alyssa, and Ashley (the manager) each show up in multiple positive reviews. Mike, the maintenance manager, gets praise for fast turnaround on service requests. When half the reviewers name a specific staff member in a positive way, that’s not random. This team cares.

Multiple reviewers bring up how quiet the property is. For a 348-unit community, that’s unusual. It tracks with the Manor location: not much traffic noise, and the community is far enough from commercial areas that it stays calm.

What’s Not Working

Two reviewers specifically call out a leasing agent named Jordan for being rude and unprofessional. One (Tee) recommends Jordan be fired. Another (Ty K) describes a negative phone experience when calling for basic information. Jordan also appears in several positive reviews from earlier months, so the picture is mixed.

The bigger concern is amenity closures, which I cover in the next section.

About the Management Company

AOG Living (formerly Allied Orion Group) is a Houston-based company managing 35,000+ apartment units across the country. They’re BBB Accredited, but their BBB profile shows complaints at other properties in their portfolio. Most are about billing disputes, move-out charges, and slow maintenance. Their employee reviews on Indeed aren’t great either. Former staff mention high turnover and spotty support from corporate.

What does that mean for you at Evergreen? The local team here gets strong reviews. But if something big goes wrong that needs corporate backup (like, say, recurring flooding), how fast it gets fixed depends on how much support they get from Houston.

Management Response Pattern

The team responds to almost every Google review, positive and negative. But the responses are heavily templated. Phrases like “we appreciate you!” and “knocked it out of the park for you” repeat across dozens of reviews. When someone leaves a negative review, the response offers to make things right but never gets into specifics.

That’s a pattern worth noticing. They respond, but they don’t always address the actual complaint.

The Uncomfortable Truth

No listing site will write this section.

The Flooding Problem Is Real

Reviewer Jo Prz (3 months ago) spelled it out: the gym flooded in January 2026 and was still closed months later. Less than two months after that, the clubhouse also flooded. Then the pool was closed until further notice. Reviewer Addison Schmitt confirmed the same timeline, noting they moved in February and haven’t been able to use any amenities since.

For a property that’s less than a year old, multiple flooding events affecting three separate amenities is a construction or drainage issue, not bad luck. This is something you need to ask about directly before signing. Ask what caused the flooding. Ask what’s been fixed. Ask for a timeline on when each amenity will be up and running again. If the answers are vague, that tells you something.

103 of 348 Units Are Vacant

Nearly 30% of this property is empty. To put that in perspective, a healthy new property in Austin typically hits 90%+ occupancy within the first 12–18 months. Evergreen has been open for about a year and is sitting closer to 70%. That could mean the Manor location is keeping people away. It could mean pricing is still finding its level. It could mean the amenity issues are hurting leasing.

Probably all three.

The upside for you: high vacancy means bargaining power. You may be able to negotiate on lease terms, parking, or move-in timing. It also means the property is motivated to fill units, which can work in your favor if you have screening concerns.

The Location Is Manor, Not Austin

The property calls itself “East Austin’s premier master-planned community.” That’s technically Travis County, but it is not East Austin. It’s Manor. The address is Manor. The zip code is Manor (78653). The school district is Del Valle ISD, not Austin ISD. If you’re expecting the East Austin vibe with coffee shops, taco trucks, and walkable streets, you won’t find it here. If you’re good with a quiet suburb that happens to be in the Austin metro, this could work.

Ready to Move Forward, or Want to See Alternatives?

If the flooding situation or location give you pause, I can show you what else is available in Manor, East Austin, or wherever makes sense for your commute and budget.

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FAQ

Is Evergreen at Whisper Valley income restricted?

Partially. The property offers both market rate and “attainable housing” (AFF) units at reduced rents. Attainable units need income verification, and you have to apply in person at the leasing office.

What school district is Evergreen at Whisper Valley in?

Del Valle ISD. The assigned schools are Joseph Gilbert Elementary, Dailey Middle School, and Del Valle High School.

Does Evergreen at Whisper Valley have a pool?

Yes, but the pool has been closed on and off because of flooding. Check with the leasing office on current status before signing.

How far is Evergreen at Whisper Valley from downtown Austin?

About 14 miles. Off-peak drive time is roughly 20 minutes. Rush hour can push that to 35–50 minutes via US 290.

Does Evergreen offer EV charging?

Yes. The property has EV charging stations and offers detached EV garages for $175/month.

What’s the pet policy at Evergreen at Whisper Valley?

Two pets maximum. Dogs, cats, birds, and fish are allowed. Expect $200 deposit, $200–$400 one time fee, and $20/month pet rent per pet. At other Texas properties, AOG Living caps dogs at 50 pounds and restricts Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, Akitas, Dobermans, Chows, German Shepherds, and Australian Shepherds. Evergreen’s Apartments.com listing also shows reptiles as accepted, which differs from the standard AOG Living policy. Confirm the exact breed list and weight limit with the leasing office before applying.

Is there a preferred employer discount?

Yes. Samsung, Tesla, SpaceX, Amazon, Oracle, HEB, Boring Company, and military personnel qualify for employer discount pricing. Call the leasing office for specific discount amounts.

What green features does Evergreen have?

The property has National Green Building Standards (NGBS) Bronze certification and an Austin Energy Green Building 2-star rating. The Whisper Valley community uses geothermal and solar technology.

Are utilities included in rent?

No. You pay all utilities separately.

What is the application fee at Evergreen at Whisper Valley?

$75 per applicant, plus a $200 admin fee due at move-in. Total upfront fees before your first month’s rent: $275 per applicant plus the $500 deposit.

The Bottom Line

Evergreen at Whisper Valley has real strengths. It’s a 2025 build with modern finishes, in-unit washer and dryer, legitimate green certifications, and rent that starts lower than most new construction in the Austin metro. Ashley, Lili, and Alyssa get consistently strong reviews from residents. And the preferred employer program saves you money if you work at Samsung, Tesla, or one of the other listed companies.

The trade-offs are equally real. The Manor location means a car-dependent lifestyle and a 35–50 minute rush hour commute to central Austin. Multiple amenities have flooded in the property’s first year. Nearly 30% of units are sitting empty, which tells you something about demand out here.

This property makes sense if you work at Samsung or Tesla and want a short commute. It also works if you’re a remote worker who’d rather have quiet and green space than bars and coffee shops. If you qualify for the attainable housing program, the pricing gets even better. And if you just want new construction finishes for under $1,200/month, there aren’t many options in this price range that are this new.

This property doesn’t make sense if you commute daily to downtown or central Austin. It also doesn’t work if you want walkable access to groceries, restaurants, and nightlife. If reliable pool and gym access is part of your daily routine, the flooding history is a problem. And if you want published screening criteria before you apply, you won’t find them here.

My honest take: the price is right, the finishes are solid, and the staff seems to genuinely try. But the flooding issues need to be resolved, and the location is a real commitment. If you’re OK with Manor and the amenity situation checks out when you tour, it’s worth a look.

Need Help Deciding?

I’m Ross Quade, a licensed Texas apartment locator. My service is free. The apartment community pays a referral fee from their marketing budget, so your rent stays the same whether you use me or apply on your own.

If Evergreen fits your situation, I can pre-screen your profile so you know where you stand before spending $275 on application and admin fees. If it doesn’t fit, I track pricing across hundreds of Austin area communities, including other options near Samsung and apartments near Tesla.