The Park at Summers Grove Apartments Austin Review: What Income Restrictions Actually Mean for Your Application

Most Austin apartment communities turn over half their residents every year. At The Park at Summers Grove, I keep seeing the same names in reviews going back a decade. People who’ve lived here 5, 10, even 16 years. That’s not normal. And when something is that far outside the pattern, I pay attention.

As a licensed Texas REALTOR (TX #679806) who tracks North Austin rental pricing daily, I can tell you exactly why this property keeps its residents. Income restricted rents that run $100 to $500 less than the newer places on the same street, depending on the floor plan. But here’s what the listing sites won’t tell you. This is a 60% AMI tax credit community with income caps, and if you earn above the threshold, you won’t qualify no matter how strong your application is. That’s the first thing to check.

Quick Facts: The Park at Summers Grove

The 4.8 Google rating from 238 reviews is one of the highest I’ve seen for any apartment community in the 78727 zip code. But the 3.0 on Yelp from 8 reviews tells a different story. Small sample, yes, but the Yelp complaints are specific: water damage, deposit disputes at move out, and rude maintenance after hours. I’ll break down why they’re so far apart below. The other thing listing sites won’t flag: this is one of the few properties in the Wells Branch corridor where your income can be too high to qualify.

Best For / Skip If

Best For

You need rent below market rate in Wells Branch and your household income falls under the 60% AMI cap. If you’re single and earn under $57,840, or if there are three of you earning under $74,400, you’d qualify. At those income levels, you’re getting a 1BR starting at $1,130 in an area where Lenox Grand down the street (built 2023) charges $1,239 and up.

You have a pet under 45 pounds and don’t want to pay monthly pet rent. Most Austin apartments charge $15 to $35 per month per pet on top of a deposit. The Park at Summers Grove charges $400 for the deposit and nothing monthly. Over a 12-month lease, that saves you $180 to $420 compared to properties that charge pet rent. If your pet is over 45 pounds, this property won’t work, but check out Austin apartments that allow large dogs for options without weight limits.

You’re looking for a community where people actually stay. I see residents here who’ve been around 5, 8, 10, and 15+ years. That doesn’t happen at most Austin apartments. When people stick around that long, the community is stable and neighbors actually know each other.

You want townhome layouts. Several floor plans here are townhomes with 1.5 or 2 bathrooms. No upstairs neighbor stomping above your head, and nobody below you hearing your footsteps.

Skip If

Your household income exceeds the 60% AMI limits. If a single person earns above $57,840, you don’t qualify. Period. This isn’t a screening flexibility issue. It’s a federal program requirement that management can’t override.

You need laundry inside your apartment. Some townhome floor plans come with a washer/dryer supplied, and some flats have connections, but there’s no guarantee of machines in your unit. The property has laundry rooms for units without them.

You’re sensitive to cigarette or marijuana smoke. Smoking is allowed inside units. Cigarette and weed smell carries between apartments here. If that’s a dealbreaker, this isn’t the property for you.

You depend on functioning entry gates. The gates here are broken more often than they work. If a gated community with working gates matters to your peace of mind, you’ll be frustrated.

Wondering if The Park at Summers Grove fits your situation?

Fill out a quick form and I’ll reach out to go over your specifics: income, pets, timeline. I can check whether your income works before you spend time on an application. You’ll hear from a real person (me), not an automated system.

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Location Deep Dive

What’s Actually Nearby

The Park at Summers Grove sits on Century Park Boulevard, just off Wells Branch Parkway in the 78727 zip code. It’s technically Wells Branch but also gets called Northwest Austin.

The Market at Wells Branch shopping center is about a 3-minute drive and has an H-E-B, which handles your grocery runs. The Domain is roughly 4 miles south (10-minute drive off peak, 15 to 20 during rush hour), so you get shopping and restaurant access without paying Domain prices. About a mile away, the Wells Branch MUD Recreation Center has a pool, trails, and community events. And the Wells Branch Greenbelt trail system runs about 6 miles for walking, jogging, and biking.

For dining, you’re not walking to restaurants from here. You’ll need to drive to eat. Burnet Road’s restaurant corridor is about 4 miles south, and Wells Branch Parkway has the usual fast casual spots (Chick-fil-A, Whataburger, Torchy’s on Burnet).

Commute Math

Route notes: You’ll use I-35 or MoPac for most destinations. I-35 through this stretch gets backed up during morning and evening rush, especially southbound. MoPac has variable toll lanes that can save 10 to 15 minutes but cost $3 to $8 depending on congestion. Century Park Boulevard connects directly to Wells Branch Parkway, which gets you to both highways.

Neighborhood Vibe

Here’s the honest version. Wells Branch is suburban and quiet. It’s not a nightlife area and it’s not walkable. You need a car for basically everything. But it’s one of the more affordable pockets of Austin that still puts you within a reasonable commute of the tech corridor employers (Dell, Apple, Amazon, Samsung) and downtown. Most renters don’t realize the Wells Branch MUD district has parks, a recreation center, and a community library.

Pricing and True Cost

Floor Plans

*With $1,000 off one month on a 12-month lease (current special)

Note the pricing gap: Two available 2BR/2BA floor plans with the same 1,026 square feet are priced $210 apart ($1,150 vs. $1,360). If you’re looking at two bedrooms here, ask specifically about the 29-225b plan at $1,150.

The townhome floor plans come with a washer and dryer included. Flat floor plans? Connections only. That’s a real difference. Buying a washer/dryer set or paying for laundry room use means your actual cost is higher than what the rent says.

Net Effective Rent Calculation

The current special is $1,000 off one month’s rent on a 12-month lease. Here’s what that actually means:

For the available 2BR at $1,150/month:

• Base rent: $1,150 × 12 months = $13,800
• Minus $1,000 concession: $13,800 – $1,000 = $12,800
• Divided by 12 months = $1,067/month net effective
• Monthly savings: $83/month

That $83 per month difference is real money over a year, but it’s less than what some of the nearby places are offering. The Olivine next door, for example, is a market rate property that has to work harder to fill units, so their deals tend to be bigger.

All the Fees

The fee structure here is surprisingly light. A $0 admin fee is rare in Austin, where admin fees run $150 to $300 at most properties. No monthly pet rent either, which you don’t see often. Most Austin properties charge $15 to $35 per pet per month. And with the current special waiving the $21 application fee, your upfront costs are lower than almost any property I see in this area.

True Monthly Cost: What You’ll Actually Pay

Here’s a realistic scenario for a renter in a 2BR flat at $1,150 base rent with one pet:

Move in costs:

The property pays for trash. Homes.com lists gas, water, electricity, sewer, and AC as included too, but the locator database only shows trash. That’s a big enough gap to ask the leasing office for specifics before you sign.

Want to know what specials are actually available right now?

Specials change. What’s listed above was accurate when I pulled the data, but offers shift. Fill out the form and I’ll check current availability and pricing for you.

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Screening Criteria

The Income Requirement (and the Income Cap)

This is where The Park at Summers Grove gets different from most properties. You need to clear two income hurdles, not one.

Hurdle 1: Minimum income. You need to earn at least 3x the monthly rent. That’s the usual bar.

Hurdle 2: Maximum income. Your household income can’t exceed the 60% Area Median Income (AMI) limit for your household size. If you earn too much, you won’t qualify.

Here’s what both look like together:

Maximum income caps (60% AMI):

So for a single person renting a 1BR at $1,130, you need to earn at least $40,680 per year but no more than $57,840. That gives you about $17,000 of room. Not tiny, but not wide either.

Credit Expectations

There’s no published credit score minimum for this property. For tax credit properties managed by AMP, I see more flexibility on credit than at market rate Class A communities. A credit check is still part of the screening, though. If your score is below 550, expect questions or a possible higher deposit. Above 600, you’re fine on the credit side.

If credit is a concern, I can point you toward properties with specific published credit thresholds so you know where you stand before you apply. Check out second chance apartments in Austin for more on that.

What Gets You Denied

Here’s what gets you turned down:

• Household income above the 60% AMI limit (automatic no)
• Not enough income (below 3x rent)
• All the adults in your home are full-time students and don’t qualify for an exception (federal tax credit rule)
• Can’t prove your income with the required paperwork
• Certain criminal background issues (specific lookback periods vary)

The Application Process

1. Gather income verification documents (pay stubs, tax returns, employer verification)
2. Complete the application for all household members over 18
3. Property checks your income against the AMI limits
4. Approval, conditional approval, or denial

The income check takes longer here than at a typical market rate apartment because the property has to prove to the federal program that you qualify. Budget a few extra days compared to a standard apartment application.

What a Locator Can Do at This Property

Here’s what separates working with a locator from applying blind: I can tell you whether your income fits before you spend time gathering paperwork. If The Park at Summers Grove’s income caps don’t fit your situation, I know which nearby North Austin properties have market rate units with more flexible screening. And if your income is tight, I can walk you through which properties have lower income multipliers that might open more doors.

Resident Reviews Decoded

I read through 238 Google reviews, 313 ApartmentRatings reviews, 8 Yelp reviews, and checked ForRent and ApartmentHomeLiving to find the patterns. Individual complaints aren’t that useful. Repeated themes are.

Review Pattern Analysis

What Residents Consistently Praise

The staff. That’s the story here. Elda Loredo, the assistant manager, gets called out by name across Google and Yelp more than any single staff member I’ve seen at an Austin property. She goes out of her way to help with problems and point people toward resources. One resident who lost income over the summer said Elda helped her find assistance programs.

Fernando Huerta, Carlos, and Jacob on the maintenance side get similar praise during regular hours. Work orders get done fast. The team is friendly and professional, and long-term residents call them the best they’ve dealt with.

Resident retention here is off the charts. I counted reviews from people who’ve been here 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, and 16 years.

People don’t stay that long at places they hate.

What Residents Consistently Criticize

So what’s the catch?

The gates don’t work. I see that complaint more than anything else here. The access gates break and stay broken for extended periods. For a property that advertises as a gated community, that’s a gap between what’s promised and what’s delivered.

Water damage comes up across multiple platforms, not just one bad incident. Different people on Google, Yelp, and ApartmentHomeLiving are all talking about flooding, ceiling leaks, or water heater problems in different units at different times.

Smoking is allowed inside units, and the smell travels between apartments. Cigarette and marijuana odor from neighboring units keeps coming up. In a 2005 building, the wall construction isn’t going to block that.

Maintenance after hours gets a very different reception than the daytime crew. The Yelp water heater review specifically called the nighttime person rude. That’s a big difference from the praise Fernando and his team get during business hours.

Deposit disputes after moving out show up on Yelp and ApartmentRatings. One former resident says they never got their deposit back and were sent to collections. If you move out, document everything and get your walkthrough in writing.

Amenity access is limited. The fitness center isn’t open outside office hours, and the pool is only open during summer. So if you’re expecting 24/7 gym access, you won’t get it here.

How Management Responds

Management responds to nearly every review on Google and ApartmentRatings, positive and negative. For negative reviews, the standard response asks residents to call 512-682-6500 to talk through concerns. The responses are mostly templated, which is common with corporate management companies. But the fact that they respond at all puts them ahead of many properties I track. On Yelp, there are no management responses, which probably has something to do with the lower rating there.

The Uncomfortable Truth

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

The Gates Are Decorative at This Point

The gates have been broken for long stretches. One long-term resident in a 2025 review said they “have been inoperable more than they have worked.” The pedestrian gate in the back isn’t secured either, so people can walk in from outside. If gated access is part of why you’re considering this property, know that it hasn’t worked reliably.

Smoking Will Affect You

This property allows smoking inside units. In a 2005 building, smoke travels between units. A resident who renewed their lease multiple times still flagged this as their biggest issue: cigarette and marijuana smell from neighboring units coming into their home. This isn’t something maintenance can fix. It’s a policy decision.

Your Income Gets Checked Every Year

As a tax credit property, your income gets checked every year. If your income goes above the 60% AMI cap while you’re living here, your rent could adjust and renewal terms may change. Most renters don’t realize this until the first round of renewal paperwork shows up. Ask the leasing office how income increases are handled before you sign.

Laundry Inside Your Unit Isn’t Guaranteed

Townhome floor plans come with washer/dryer units supplied. But many flat floor plans only have connections, and some have neither. The property has laundry rooms for residents who don’t have machines in their apartment. If having your own washer and dryer matters, confirm which floor plans actually include machines and which just have hookups.

Water Damage Shows Up Across Platforms

A July 2025 ApartmentRatings review described a flooded apartment with photos. On Yelp, a May 2025 review describes a broken water heater that sent water into a master bedroom. ApartmentHomeLiving has a separate review mentioning ceiling leaks and foundation cracking. Different time periods, different units, same problem. In a building that’s 21 years old, plumbing issues aren’t shocking, but it keeps happening. Ask about any water issues in the specific unit you’re looking at.

Document Everything When You Move Out

Deposit disputes after moving out are a pattern here. One former resident says they never got their deposit back and were later contacted by a collections agency without explanation. Take photos of your unit at move in and move out, get your walkthrough results in writing, and keep copies of every piece of paperwork.

Ready to move forward, or want to look at alternatives?

You’ve seen the full picture. If The Park at Summers Grove fits your situation, great. If you’re not sure, or if the income restrictions don’t work for you, I can help you find alternatives in the North Austin area that might be a better match.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does The Park at Summers Grove allow pets?

Yes. Up to 2 pets with a 45 lb weight limit per pet. There’s a $400 deposit per pet with no monthly pet rent. Breed restrictions apply (no aggressive breeds), and you’ll need a rabies vaccine and pet interview.

What credit score do I need for The Park at Summers Grove?

No published minimum. Tax credit properties have more flexibility on credit than Class A apartments. A score above 580 to 600 puts you in good shape.

Is The Park at Summers Grove income restricted?

Yes. This is a Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) property at 60% AMI. Your household income has to be below the published limits for your household size. A single person can earn up to $57,840 per year. A household of four can earn up to $82,260.

What utilities are included at The Park at Summers Grove?

Trash is included. Homes.com lists gas, water, electricity, sewer, and AC as included too, but other sources only show trash. Confirm with the leasing office.

Does The Park at Summers Grove have laundry in the unit?

Depends on the floor plan. Townhomes come with washer/dryer supplied. Some flats have connections only. There are laundry rooms on site for units without machines.

What is parking like at The Park at Summers Grove?

Open surface lot parking is included. Covered parking costs $25 a month. Fair warning: the property contracts with a tow company that slaps stickers on cars and tows aggressively, so make sure your vehicle is registered with the office.

Is The Park at Summers Grove a good location for commuting?

It’s solid for North Austin employers. Dell Round Rock is about 7 miles, Apple’s Parmer Lane campus about 6 miles, and The Domain roughly 4 miles south. Downtown is 14 miles and can take 35 to 50 minutes in rush hour.

The Bottom Line: Is The Park at Summers Grove Worth It?

The math here is clear: $1,130 for a 1BR and $1,150 for a 2BR in Wells Branch, with no admin fee, no pet rent, and application fees currently waived. Lenox Grand down the street (built 2023) starts at $1,239 for a 1BR. Magnolia Scofield Ridge a few blocks away (built 2024) goes from $1,000 up to $2,589. You’re paying less here than you would at most of the market rate places nearby. The 4.8 Google rating from 238 reviews matches what the pricing says. People who live here stay, and the staff under Elda Loredo and the maintenance team led by Fernando get praised in ways I rarely see at other Austin properties.

The trade-off is real, though. The Yelp reviews (3.0/5) tell a rougher story than Google does: water damage, deposit disputes when people leave, and a gap between the daytime maintenance team and the crew that handles after hours calls. Income restrictions limit who can apply, the gates don’t work reliably, smoking travels between units, and not all floor plans include laundry machines. This is a building that’s 21 years old, and some of these issues come with age.

This property makes sense if:

• Your household income falls within the 60% AMI window and you want below market rent in Wells Branch
• You value staff consistency and community stability over building age and amenities
• You have a pet under 45 lbs and want to avoid monthly pet rent
• You work at Dell, Apple, Amazon, or another North Austin employer and want a short commute

This property doesn’t make sense if:

• Your income exceeds the AMI caps (you can’t qualify regardless of credit or rental history)
• You need reliable gated access as part of your living situation
• Cigarette or marijuana smoke from neighbors is a hard no
• You need laundry in your apartment and want a flat rather than a townhome

At 94% occupancy and with most floor plans currently unavailable, this property doesn’t sit empty. If you qualify, it’s worth a serious look. If you’re not sure whether your income fits, reach out and I can help you figure that out before you waste time on an application.

Need Help?

You’ve got everything to look into The Park at Summers Grove on your own. If you want help:

Fill out the form and I’ll reach out to go over your income situation and check whether you qualify under the AMI caps. If this one doesn’t fit, I’ll talk through alternatives. You’ll talk to me directly.

Going solo? Call the leasing office directly at (512) 218-0672 or (737) 225-6408. Just tell them “Ross Quade from Austin Apartment Team” referred you on your tour and application. Text me at 512-360-0852 when you apply so I can make sure everything’s on track.