26 April . 2024
Elyson “checks all the boxes” for two generations of the Paguio family
Many of us dream of being able to handpick our neighbors. Living under 10 minutes from work is another big plus. Ditto for finding a new home and community that checks all of your boxes.
In the case of Elyson residents Liz and Noel Paguio, all three of these dreams came true. Here’s how.
Handpicked neighbors
Liz and Noel met in Houston during their college years, when they both worked at Baker St Pub in Cinco Ranch.
They got married and had their first child, Jude, now 4. They lived near Cinco Ranch, and Liz was teaching at a private school and driving more than an hour to work.
With a second child on the way, the family decided it was time to look for a more spacious home and hopefully a shorter commute for Liz.
At the same time, Noel’s parents, Noel Sr. and Rosalina, were interested in scaling down to a smaller home.
Both families had been researching communities in Katy, where they wanted to stay, and they decided that Elyson looked promising.
“I thought the community orchards were a unique feature, and I liked all the recreational amenities that Elyson already had completed,” she said. “The upcoming shops and restaurants were also a huge bonus, and many of those have opened since we moved in.”
Checking all the boxes
After a birthday brunch, the extended family visited Chesmar Homes in Elyson’s Model Home Village, and discovered that the builder had two available homes nearing completion next door to each other.
“We had no idea that we’d be able to live next door to Noel’s parents, but we were very intrigued, depending on if the homes checked all of our boxes,” Liz said.
It turns out they did.
Liz and Noel were living in a 3-bedroom home with no office. They wanted a 4-bedroom home with a study for Noel, who works at home.
Noel Sr. and Rosalina wanted something smaller than their current two-story, 5-bedroom home, since the household was now just themselves and the beloved family dog, Maggie.
Both of the available Chesmar homes fit the family so perfectly, they signed contracts the same week.
Another plus was that the homes were close to Elyson’s newest amenity, Lakeside Landing, and connected to many other parks and recreational amenities by the community’s extensive trail system.
“I didn’t want to have to drive outside our neighborhood for the kids to have fun, and Lakeside Landing is close enough to walk over,” Liz says.
Working in the neighborhood
As remote senior cybersecurity analyst for MD Anderson, Noel gets the family prize for shortest commute, but Liz isn’t far behind, thanks to her new job at Harmony School of Excellence in Elyson.
Now finishing her first year as a third- and fourth-grade math teacher at Harmony, she’s reduced her daily commute from 90 minutes to less than 10 minutes.
Another benefit is that Jude attends Pre-K at the Harmony school in Elyson. And because of the short trip to Harmony, Liz gets to spend more time with their infant son, Leo, which she treasures.
“I love Harmony both as a teacher and parent,” Liz says. “Jude’s abilities have grown by leaps and bounds. As a teacher, I appreciate their STEM-focused curriculum and focus on personalized learning for each student.”
Read more Resident Stories from Elyson.