Susan and Larry Ade: Epcon Homeowners, Epcon Sales Pros

Susan and Larry Ade experienced love at first sight… With a new home design that they were tasked with selling.

In 2015, the couple joined Summit Properties, the in-house brokerage for Perfection Builders for the Kansas builder’s new Epcon community, The Courtyards at the Oaks, in Derby, KS. They had known Scott Lehner, one of Perfection Builders’ owners, for a long time, and came on board as sales associates with the launch. Susan and Larry instantly chose one of the yet-to-be-built models in the a community as their new home, adding only a three-car garage and sitting room to the original plan.

The Ades, who have lived in Derby throughout their entire marriage, hadn’t been looking for a new home, but “age and circumstance” presented the right opportunity at the right time.

“We looked at this home and knew we wanted to live in this type of community,” explains Larry, a financial advisor as well as a real estate professional. “We knew from day one that we wanted this model as our home. The location, the design, the size, and the fact that it’s single-level and low-maintenance living gave us everything we wanted.”

Their Promenade model was completed on November 12, 2015, one of several models in the new community. Of the 87 lots in The Courtyards at The Oaks, 36 homes have been completed, five homes and five new models are under construction, and ten other homesites have been purchased—in just two years.

The blurred line between work and home

The Ades now take their work home with them. They moved into the former model and their sales office is just across the street. Every neighbor in the community purchased their Epcon home from Susan and Larry. Yet, once the homeowners move in, they see the couple as neighbors, not their real estate agents.

“We’ve never had anyone come to our door in need of anything,” Larry says, “but the phone lines are always open.”

“These people become our friends,” adds Susan, a former secretary who also spent three years driving a school bus for special needs children. “They stop by the office, just to say ‘hi’.”

Both of the Ades are active in the social life in The Courtyards. About 30 to 50 people join in the monthly community events, including ice cream socials, barbeques, an annual Halloween party, and much more. Perfection Builders also incorporated a variety of amenities to encourage social gatherings. The clubhouse, heated saltwater pool, exercise room, and two pickleball courts are popular with the residents.

Does living in the community make it easier to see its value from a sales perspective? When you love where you live, and where you live is your work, there’s certainly an advantage. The Ades’ enthusiasm for The Courtyards at The Oaks is obvious when they talk to prospective neighbors.

“When we come home, we’re in the most comfortable place we can be,” Larry explains.