Why EB-5 Investors Choose EB5AN’s Rocky River: Highlights From Our Investor Interviews

If you’re planning to make an EB-5 investment, you’re likely aware that your chances of receiving a U.S. Green Card largely depend on the EB-5 project you choose. So do your chances of recovering your invested capital.

If you choose an EB-5 project that creates enough jobs, remains compliant with the rules of the EB-5 program, and succeeds financially, you could quickly become a permanent resident of the United States—all while recovering your investment.

To help EB-5 investors reach these goals, EB5AN sponsors only the most reliable EB-5 projects, choosing real estate projects that have proven their ability to comply with EB-5 immigration requirements and repay their investors. Our investors’ success is our success, and that’s why we strive to choose trustworthy projects and developers with a strong track record.

Rocky River, one of the most compelling rural projects on the EB-5 market today, offers an exceptional level of safety. With fast I-526E and I-956F approvals for its previous funds and one of the fastest-selling business models for real estate development in the Southeast, Rocky River builds on previous models of success to give its EB-5 investors peace of mind.

Of course, EB-5 investors should take the time to evaluate every potential project thoroughly before committing their funds. And EB5AN always encourages investors to make an informed decision.

Happily, multiple EB-5 investors have researched the Rocky River project and found it the best option on the market. Many of these investors already enjoy immigration benefits, such as I-526E approvals for their conditional Green Card.

For instance, consider what Tarun, an Indian tech professional, says about investing in Rocky River: “Given the developer’s track record, I was like, okay, they can build it. Can they sell it? So we have seen that with Twin Lakes and every other property that they are able to sell it. They’ve done this project in the past; they know what they’re doing.”

Because of these factors, Tarun concludes “that the probability of success is much higher with Rocky River.”

Our other investors in Rocky River echo Tarun’s sentiment.

In this post, we are pleased to provide highlights from our investor interview series. In these excerpts, our investors highlight the financial and immigration features that motivated them to invest in Rocky River—and how they have benefited from making an informed investment decision.

If your goal is to invest in a low-risk rural EB-5 project with priority processing and a proven financial model, Rocky River may be the right investment for you.

View All Rocky River Investor Interviews

A Quick Overview of the Rocky River (Loan) Rural EB-5 Project

Rural TEA Qualification

• Because Rocky River is classified as a rural project, investors qualify for the lower $800,000 EB-5 minimum—instead of the standard $1,050,000.
• The project’s rural designation also provides priority I-526E processing and access to the 20% visa set-aside, reducing Green Card waiting times. Because of its priority processing, some Rocky River investors have received I-526E approvals in as little as 6.5 months.

Developer Track Record: The Kolter Group

• The Kolter Group is mong the 20 largest private U.S. home builders.
• Kolter has managed over $30 billion in real estate projects since 1997, with more than 100 residential projects completed and 27,000+ units delivered.
• Kolter has never defaulted on a loan, and all prior EB-5 investments in Kolter projects are in good standing or repaid.

Community Brand and Proven Model

• Rocky River is a new Cresswind community, Kolter’s award-winning flagship active-adult brand.
• This project builds on the success of 13 other Cresswind communities across the Southeast.
• Over 6,300 homes have been sold to date, with more than 5,800 delivered to buyers.
• Rocky River’s sales strategy relies on showcasing furnished model homes, a method proven to accelerate demand.

Project Scope and Progress

• The project entails the development of a 1,120-home single-family community in Locust, North Carolina.
• Kolter acquired 350 acres for Phase I in November 2024; construction began immediately.
• The model home park is under construction, with completion expected by the end of 2025.

Job Creation and Compliance

• Rocky River is xpected to generate more than 7,020 qualifying EB-5 jobs—well above the program requirements of 10 jobs per investor.
• The exemplar Form I-956F application has been approved for a prior fund.
• An investor in a prior fund received I-526E approval in just 6.5 months, underscoring the project’s credibility in USCIS’s eyes.

Investor Protections

• The EB-5 loan is secured with a repayment guaranty from a Kolter parent company.
• A job creation guaranty ensures sufficient qualifying positions are counted.
• An I-526E approval refund guaranty provides added security.
• Each EB-5 loan term runs five years from the time an investor’s funds are released—independent of other investors.

Interviews With EB-5 Investors in the Rocky River Project

How Niharika and Ishaan Broke Free From Their H-1B Visa Restrictions

Niharika and Ishaan, who were both on H-1B visas, chose the EB-5 route after growing frustrated with long EB-2/EB-3 backlogs. They wanted certainty, the freedom to live and work anywhere, and a faster path to a Green Card.

After weighing multiple EB-5 projects and structures, they ultimately selected Rocky River—a rural, 956F-approved (for the previous fund) project with a strong job cushion and a conservative repayment structure.

Their due diligence focused heavily on projects’ capital stack position and exit strategy. They prioritized projects that were rural (to qualify for visa set-asides and expedited processing), structured as secured loans (not equity), and backed by developers with a proven track record.

They developed a scoring system to compare risk profiles across EB5AN’s offerings, and although some urban projects offered faster repayment, uncertainty surrounding USCIS repayment policies pushed them toward a rural project with clearer timelines.

Rocky River stood out due to its phased construction plan and lower exposure to market volatility compared to hospitality or large resort developments. They preferred the risk profile of single-family homes in growing areas over hotel projects, which are more reliant on fluctuating tourism trends. Moreover, demographic and population trends in North Carolina aligned with the developer’s projections—an independent validation that strengthened their confidence.

They were also impressed by Kolter, the project’s developer, citing the company’s multi-decade track record and resilience through the 2008 crisis and COVID downturn.

They were similarly impressed with EB5AN. While other regional centers they evaluated were either evasive about risks or overly aggressive in pushing commitments, EB5AN’s transparent disclosures and data-rich materials made them comfortable with proceeding with their investment.

One key reason they trusted EB5AN was the level of project transparency. Detailed plans, offering documents, and risk disclosures were readily available online. This allowed Niharika and Ishaan to evaluate projects independently, without needing constant follow-ups. EB5AN’s openness and willingness to explain not just the projects but also the broader EB-5 process gave them the confidence to invest.

Prakash Discovered Rocky River’s Exceptional Financial Safety and Sales Potential

Prakash focused on selecting a project that would have strong financials and sales. He reviewed many EB-5 offerings but was drawn to Rocky River because it combined low risk with a clear strategy he could understand.

As someone with some personal experience in single-family housing, he appreciated that Rocky River was built around the same model—developing and selling homes individually. This construction approach allows builders to scale up or down depending on demand, unlike hotels or large mixed-use complexes that require heavy upfront capital. That flexibility made him confident the project could weather market shifts.

The target market also made sense to him. Rocky River is designed as a 55-plus community, and Prakash saw the appeal for retirees with steady income or savings who could purchase quickly. The clubhouse and floor plans looked attractive, and he noted that Twin Lakes, a similar project in Georgia, had already succeeded with the same formula. He reasoned that Rocky River’s location, while rural, was still close enough to a city to benefit from population growth over time.

The rural TEA designation was another decisive factor. Prakash wanted to avoid the long wait times common in urban TEAs. Charts and projections from EB5AN convinced him that rural EB-5 investments were less likely to face serious backlogs, even if retrogression occurred. With a U.S.-born daughter, minimizing wait times for permanent status was essential.

Rocky River also aligned with his immediate immigration priorities. Beyond permanent residency, he wanted employment authorization and a travel permit to give his family more stability and flexibility. His H-1B status was secure, but it didn’t provide those additional documents. He viewed Rocky River as a straightforward way to reach that goal.

Transparency and clarity from EB5AN played a crucial role in his decision. The online materials from offering documents to developer details, were comprehensive and easy to review. He didn’t feel rushed, and the process resembled making a careful purchase rather than being pressured into a commitment. Whether it was providing financial details before subscription, clear escrow instructions, or answers about how funds would flow to the developer, communication from the EB5AN team was always timely. Each step reinforced his sense of security.

He especially valued Rocky River’s simple structure. Because the project breaks down construction into smaller milestones—each home being its own unit—it was easy for him to track how capital would be deployed and repaid. That gave him confidence that the investment was practical and manageable.

Finally, the success of Kolter’s prior Cresswind projects reassured him. More than 6,000 homes had already been delivered across the Southeast using the same model. Knowing Rocky River was backed by that track record, combined with the additional guaranties offered, gave him confidence that the project could deliver on both his immigration side and financial goals.

“What Price Do You Put On Peace of Mind?” Tarun’s EB-5 Journey With Rocky River

Tarun’s decision to invest in Rocky River came after carefully comparing different project options and weighing them against his long-term priorities. What stood out most was the balance between reduced immigration wait times, lower project risk, and the credibility of the developer.

He began by narrowing his focus between urban and rural EB-5 projects. While both could offer similar timelines for the return of funds, rural projects clearly had an advantage when it came to faster Green Card processing. For Indian investors like Tarun, the dedicated rural allocation meant a quicker and more predictable path. With Green Card timing, risk level, and repayment in mind, he found that rural projects—and Rocky River in particular—met his criteria best.

The developer’s track record was a decisive factor. Kolter had already built communities like Twin Lakes, which Tarun reviewed before making his choice. That success reassured him that Rocky River would be delivered to a high standard and that repayment was realistic. The fact that Rocky River followed the same model of single-family home development gave him further confidence, especially since such projects can scale construction with demand. He also liked the location near the airport, which he believed added long-term lifestyle appeal for buyers. Altogether, Kolter’s history and the project’s structure lowered the perceived risk of his investment.

Tarun also reflected on the financial side of his choice. Although nearly a million dollars in total costs is substantial, he framed his investment as a long-term decision. Compared to investing in markets like the S&P 500, which could yield high returns over decades, the EB-5 investment brought a different kind of value: permanent residency and peace of mind.

Ultimately, Rocky River matched every one of his top concerns: It was a rural project with priority processing for Indian investors. It was backed by a developer with a strong record of success. Its design as a single-family community was straightforward and involved lower risk compared to large-scale commercial projects. And the EB5AN team made the process seamless and transparent, reinforcing his trust.

Anoop Chose a Fast Path to a Green Card and a Proven Track Record

After a long period of watching the EB-2 backlog stall, Anoop realized that EB-5 was the only viable way to secure permanent residency on a predictable timeline. When he began his project search, he knew he wanted to invest in a project that combined visa priority with a strong business model, and Rocky River matched these criteria.

He focused first on rural projects because of the 20% visa set-aside. Even though all categories were current at the time, he saw that urban applications were piling up, especially from India and China. Rural set-asides gave him confidence that his priority date would remain current and that he could avoid slipping into another long queue.

The business model was just as important. Rocky River is a single-family home community designed for retirees aged 55 and older. Anoop understood housing better than resort or hospitality projects, which felt more volatile and dependent on seasonal demand.

He also saw that Kolter, the developer, had a long history of delivering similar housing projects and had already repaid multiple EB-5 loans without financial issues. Unlike some developers who only seek EB-5 funding after exhausting other sources, Kolter had never used EB-5 as a last resort. That gave him confidence that the project would be completed on time and that investors’ funds would be repaid as expected.

He also spoke directly with investors from Kolter’s earlier Twin Lakes project. Their reports about steady communication and reliable updates reinforced his trust in both the developer and EB5AN. Transparency mattered to him, and EB5AN’s track record of detailed project reporting, public quarterly updates, and multiple rural offerings stood out compared to other regional centers. While some competitors had thin websites and limited information, EB5AN gave him comprehensive data on land acquisition, construction milestones, and job creation forecasts.

For Anoop, Rocky River stood out as a rural project with immediate deployment of capital, a lower-risk housing model, and a proven developer. Combined with EB5AN’s transparency and responsiveness, these factors gave him confidence that his investment would achieve both safeguard his capital and ensure immigration success. In the end, Rocky River offered him a faster, safer, and clearer alternative to waiting endlessly in the EB-2 backlog.

Learn More About Rocky River

The experiences of these investors highlight what makes Rocky River stand out: a structure designed to minimize risk while offering a safe, fast path to a Green Card.

Each investor weighed different priorities—be it capital safety, reduced wait times, or clarity of execution—and still arrived at Rocky River as the logical choice. This shows that the project’s strengths are not tied to one narrow appeal but rather to a combination of conservative structuring, developer credibility, and EB5AN’s transparency.

When investors with varied backgrounds independently arrive at the same conclusion, it shows that Rocky River is a truly compelling project.

To learn more about Rocky River or to get started on your EB-5 journey, schedule a free consultation with EB5AN.