04 February . 2021
The LaFonts move back “home” to Katy, with help from a family member who sells in Elyson
As Pulte’s No. 1 sales professional in Houston for 2020, Alexandra LaFont sold $17 million worth of new homes in the last year, all of them in Elyson. While every homebuyer is very important to Alexandra, one couple was just a little extra-special – her in-laws.
Until last year, Rick and Bobbye LaFont were living in Manvel, a location that put them fairly close to Bobbye’s job at Texas Orthopedic Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.
But with Rick recently retired from his career in automotive parts, and Bobbye planning to retire soon from nursing, the couple had recently started thinking about returning to Katy. Having lived in Katy since 1983 and raising their kids there, they still considered it their hometown, though they had moved away in 2010 to pursue a long-held dream of living in Galveston.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck last spring, Rick and Bobbye went through a health scare that convinced them that now was the time to move back to Katy and live closer to family.
“We got tired of quarantining, making 6 a.m. runs to the grocery store, and most of all not being able to see our kids and grandkids,” says Rick. “By April, we knew it was time to move back home.”
They began talking about their desire to move with Alexandra, who is married to their son, Ricky.
In the meantime, Alexandra had begun creating video tours of Pulte plans available in Elyson, to help homebuyers shop during the earliest and most uncertain days of the pandemic.
After one look at the video Alexandra had made for the one-story Sheldon, Rick and Bobbye were immediately sold on the floor plan.
“The Sheldon is my favorite out of all of our one-story floor plans,” Alexandra says. “All of the square footage is used very well for the primary owners, with a large, open gathering/dining/kitchen area and an equally spacious primary suite. The flex room by the front door is perfect for a home office or craft room.”
“Alex actually encouraged us to look at other builders, and we did, but when we saw the Sheldon, we just knew it was right,” Rick says.
As luck would have it, Pulte had just opened a new neighborhood in Elyson, and Rick and Bobbye got first pick. They chose a homesite with views of one of Elyson’s scenic lakes and natural open space. To enjoy the view even more, they opted to add an extended covered patio to their new home.
The LaFonts are undeniably proud of Alexandra and very impressed with her service, and they also have a glowing review for their construction manager, Javier.
“Javier was awesome to work with,” says Bobbye. “He emailed us updates every week when our home was being built. When we visited and saw any detail that needed attending, we didn’t have to say anything, because Javier was already on it.”
Rick and Bobbye have been very happy since they moved into their new Elyson home last November. They now live only 15 minutes from either of their children and their families. Alexandra and Ricky live close by, along the Grand Parkway. Their daughter, Jaime, her husband and their two children live in Old Katy.
Bobbye is looking forward to more free time when she retires later this year. Rick, an avid fisherman, is eager for Elyson’s lakes to open soon for catch-and-release fishing. They also love to explore the trails with their two Golden Retrievers, and they look forward to the opening of Elyson’s first dog park, also coming later in 2021. They host regular family gatherings in their new home, and Alexandra has an extra reason to love having her in-laws living where she works.
“I stop by for lunch all the time,” she laughs.
Read more resident stories from Elyson.