“Brookfield made the process feel good.”

"When we spoke with Elyson resident DeNayia on the phone, she was just finishing a shift as the crossing guard for Boundy Elementary, where her son attends kindergarten. She was still saying hi to fellow neighbors as she walked home. “One of the sweetest parts of this new chapter is watching my son start school here in our own community,” DeNayia said. “The fact that he can walk to school fills me with peace. To be at the crosswalk and make sure all the kids get there safely, it’s amazing!”

A warm welcome at Elyson

DeNayia grew up in Kentucky, and moved to Texas last year to be closer to her grandpa. After coming down for a week with her mother and sister to tour homes, they felt drawn to Elyson. “The biggest thing for me was the Welcome Center really felt welcoming,” DeNayia said. “They had snacks! But it was more than that — the lady said, ‘We don’t only want you to buy a house, we want you to buy into the community.’ That family piece of it was one thing that clicked for me and my mom.” 

Finding her floor plan

After touring every model in Elyson with her realtor, Angela Carreon at Compass, DeNayia knew she loved Brookfield Residential. But, because DeNayia works from home as a licensed program expert providing clinical therapy, she knew she didn’t want a home with an open balcony. “I told my mom, ‘When y’all come visit, I don’t want to hear you!’” DeNayia said. After she returned to Kentucky, Belinda kept in touch, continuing to send her pictures and videos of new inventory homes. Soon, DeNayia found her match with the Emerson floor plan. 

Snowstorms and blue tape

DeNayia and her mom drove back to Katy and Elyson within 24 hours of getting Belinda’s message so they could see the home in person, even getting caught in a snowstorm on the way. Luckily, the house was everything she had dreamed of. “I told them I loved it and I wanted to move on it,” DeNayia said. “It was perfect, and it didn’t have a balcony. There was a big office, and a room with a bathroom for my mom when she comes to visit. Later, when I did the blue tape walkthrough, my builder was very informative about what I was getting in the package — he marked more things than I did. Even now, they drive past and see me and check in and ask if everything is good.”

Parks, pools and more

Now that DeNayia and her son are settled in, they’ve been spending the summer exploring all the amenities Elyson has to offer, often with her mom and godson coming along. “The kids like the pools the best,” DeNayia says. “They also love the basketball court. I let them count a point if they hit the rim! We can walk the trails and it doesn’t feel like we’re going in circles. The ponds have little ducks crossing. And we took the map and went to every park, and the kids rated them so they would know which were their favorites. Most of the parks, they gave 8 out of 10 or 9 out of 10!”

Relaxing at home

In Elyson, DeNayia has found a new peace. “Sometimes I sit in my living room and just breathe it all in,” DeNayia says. “For me, this isn’t just a house. It’s a promise fulfilled, a prayer answered, and proof that God hears us even in our hardest seasons. My mom has been able to walk this journey with us, and that has been one of the biggest blessings. To have her see the prayers we prayed come to life, to know she’s witnessing a generational shift, it’s powerful. Even our cat Amiri has become part of this story, adjusting with us through every transition and now curled up peacefully in our new home.”

Choosing the right partner

DeNayia is grateful that she chose Brookfield Residential as her builder. “To anyone considering buying a home, be honest about what you want,” DeNayia said. “Brookfield Residential is willing to meet those needs and align with what you want. I enjoyed it — they made the process feel good. I feel like I’ve known them forever.”