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New community is located near Disneyland in Garden Grove

Brandywine Homes, an Irvine-based community developer known for single-family projects, has acquired land for its first multifamily development. With plans to break ground in January, the project will be comprised of two- and three-bedroom townhomes and flats on .887 acres in Garden Grove. The construction is expected to answer the shortage of affordable houses in Orange County, where rent is at record highs in some areas.

“The demand for rental properties is huge right now; the timing is right for Brandywine to be a part of that market,” said Dave Barisic, vice president of sales and marketing for Brandywine. “Now that the economy is starting to improve people who have been living with their relatives or doubling up with friends are looking for their own place-and they’re hesitant to buy just yet.”

Though Brandywine usually develops single-family homes and expects to double production of residences over the next two years, Brandywine President Brett Whitehead believes exploring alternative strategies to be a good business strategy.

“One thing we learned over the downturn was that diversifying can never hurt, and it would have been a lot more comfortable over the past five years if we would have had some sort of income-producing property in our portfolio,” Whitehead said.

Whitehead has noted the biggest difference between multifamily and single-family home construction is entitlements.

“There’s a different set of guidelines as far as what cities want for construction, setbacks and parking, so it’s been a little bit of a learning curve as to what cities and codes will allow us to do,” Whitehead said.

The homes will be located close to the Garden Grove Freeway, Korean Business District and Little Saigon. Residents will easily be able to access The Outlets at Orange, Westminster Mall, Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm, while sending their children to award winning Garden Grove Schools.