About

A disciplined developer with an owner’s perspective.

HTH is a vertically integrated real estate company based in New York City. We are a multifamily developer, builder, and property manager.

Manhattan Bridge seen from a Brooklyn street
Construction crane among New York City buildings

Our perspective

Real estate that holds memory, family, and community together.

HTH undertakes value-add and opportunistic developments in emerging and growing neighborhoods. Projects range from rental and condominium conversion to asset repositioning and ground-up construction.

We strive to make a small but tangible impact on each neighborhood and its people—whether tourist, student, renter, or homeowner.

Under the guiding principles of capital preservation and low leverage, HTH is committed to delivering superior returns through real estate development, building long-lasting investor relationships, and earning a reputation as a disciplined developer.

Because real estate is cyclical, we prioritize staying power during difficult periods and preserve the capacity to pursue special situations when they emerge.

Our philosophy

The complete principles behind our decisions.

01

Preservation of Capital

At HTH, we care deeply about capital preservation. It is our guiding principle that we, as the general partner, will do the best we can to preserve our limited partners’ capital and our own.

With every development opportunity, we analyze downside risk first. We use conservative assumptions to test each deal in distressed scenarios and protect LP investment. If it is a good deal, we believe the upside will almost always take care of itself.

02

Leverage

As a result of this guiding principle, HTH generally does not seek leverage above 50–60%.

Real estate is cyclical. We cannot foresee the future or time the market, and difficult periods are inevitable. We want the staying power to endure those periods and the firing power to act on special situations. We may forgo returns that higher leverage could create, but gain flexibility to pursue distressed opportunities.

03

Superior Returns

Real estate development has become increasingly efficient, particularly in dense urban centers where competition is fierce. HTH believes superior returns remain possible through five elements:

  • Tireless inquiry into the market
  • A disciplined approach with a long-term outlook
  • A customer-centric product
  • Timely execution within budget
  • Unwavering attention to detail
04

Alignment of Interests

We want investors’ interests aligned with ours. Depending on investment size, HTH always co-invests—typically 3–5%—alongside our limited partners.

05

Fees

We seek fair compensation for the work required to create value and returns. This allows us to focus on the development and supports a healthy relationship between general and limited partners.

The fee is also a reminder of our duty to deploy LP capital intelligently and with discipline, and it reinforces our commitment to deliver superior returns.

06

Reputation

Through these principles, we aim to build a lasting reputation as a disciplined developer. We believe it takes 20 years to build a stellar reputation and five minutes to destroy it—and we will not let that happen.

Our team

Experience across the full real estate lifecycle.

01
Jiren He, Principal

Principal

Jiren He

Jiren is the founder and Principal of HTH Development. An engineer by training with a background in construction, he has spent more than 23 years working with leading engineers, contractors, REITs, and developers to execute multifamily construction across the Northeast US.

He holds an MSE in Civil Engineering from Temple University and a BS from Fudan University. Jiren is a registered Professional Engineer in New York, a New York City Department of Buildings licensed General Contractor and Construction Superintendent, and a licensed New York Real Estate Broker.

02
Josh Orell, Vice President, Investments

Vice President, Investments

Josh Orell

Josh leads the sourcing, underwriting, and execution of investment opportunities and oversees HTH’s existing portfolio. Over his 14-year career, he has closed more than $1.1 billion in real estate transactions across investment and asset management roles.

His prior experience includes Shoreham Capital, Camp Eight Capital, Aimco, Investcorp, and LNR Partners, a Starwood Property Trust company. Josh holds an MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and a BA in Economics from the University of Maryland.

03
Alan Liu, Senior Project Manager, Construction

Senior Project Manager, Construction

Alan Liu

Alan serves as Senior Project Manager, leading the delivery of ground-up development and construction operations. A structural engineer with years of technical design and field experience, he has spent over a decade executing complex residential, commercial, and industrial projects with top-tier GC/CMs, including LBG and UAG, in New York City. He specializes in bridging technical design with construction execution to optimize budgets, streamline schedules, and mitigate project risk.

He holds an MS in Civil Engineering from UCLA and a BS from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Alan is a registered Professional Engineer in New York State.

04
Karen Du, Vice President, Property Management

Vice President, Property Management

Karen Du

Karen leads HTH’s property management practice. With a background in engineering and project management, she brings 27 years of experience solving complex problems and working closely with private and government clients.

She holds an MSE in Civil Engineering from Temple University and a BE from Tongji University. Karen is a registered Professional Engineer in Delaware and Maryland.

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