When I switched brokerages in May and joined Magnolia Realty I knew that I wanted to form deeper relationships with important vendors locally in Dripping Springs. I joined Magnolia because I had heard what an incredible man of integrity my broker, Cody George, was.
I didn’t want to work for shady people, but work with people in the industry who were known for their customer service, excellence and integrity. Networking with vendors whose values aligned with mine was something I wasn’t willing to budge on and that’s how I was first introduced to Trey Powers!
Trey and I began to have coffee at Mazama together once a month and after many days of my broker saying that I only featured local women on my blog I decided to feature a local guy! So here is a little bit more about Trey Powers, a local Dripping Springs resident and mortgage broker…
Hey Trey! Tell us more about yourself and your family…
Kim and I have been married for five years. We were “set up” by mutual friends who realized that both of our number one criteria in a potential partner was a strong, unwavering faith. We joined as the Brady Bunch in 2016 and have six awesome kids between us, ages 13 to 31. And within the last year, we have been blessed with two grand babies, Perry and Wyatt.
You can call me “Pops”.
I strive to live my life staying true to my faith in God and loving others. The “who I am in a sentence”? I am a Christ-following husband, dad, grandfather, hunting, fishing, volunteering, wood working, guitar picking, mortgage lending, Aggie and friend.
What drew you to live in Dripping Springs?
I knew I wanted to raise my kids in a more rural setting with a strong school district. DS became the obvious choice. We moved here one month after my oldest, Nathan, started kindergarten.
If you were to describe the Dripping Springs lifestyle to someone who has never been here, what would you say about it?
If you’ve read local social media lately, you would get a false sense of our community. Too many vocal gripers! Our community is growing incredibly fast and with that comes change and challenges. All of us in Dripping Springs desired to be here and made the move, whether 30 years ago or one year ago.
It seems that many, now that they are here, wish no more would come. But do these things define our community? Absolutely not!
Regardless of changes and an increasing population, we are all blessed with incredibly caring and generous neighbors. THAT defines out community. In my eleven years here I have never seen an individual need go unmet.
What do you love most about the community of people in Dripping Springs?
People here are kind, caring and giving. It is as simple as needing to change lanes on 290 after the high school has let out. Put on your blinker and you will be waved over with a smile. Accidentally drop your wallet in the HEB parking lot? The finder will post it on Dripping Springs Neighbors FB page before you get home.
And mentioned previously, I have never seen a charitable need go unmet in Dripping Springs. I love our town and I love our people.
What is a local secret that you can share with us?
We all have a close, convenient, incredible place to bass fish. But as you said, it’s a secret. If I told you, my son would kill me!
What activities and groups are you involved with around Dripping Springs?
I’ll first say I believe in my heart we should all give back to others. Whatever our talents, they should be used to help and build up others. My strengths are leadership, communication and fundraising.
I am the founder, past president and current board member of the Lone Star Cattlemen Foundation.
I’m on the board of directors for the Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce. On the board for the Hays County Farm Bureau and chair of the youth committee.
On the board of directors for the local charity, Hometown Missions (HTM). All of us in DS should be aware of HTM. We initiated and coordinated the recently completed Home in a Month project where a brand new home was built for a very deserving local family in need.
Finally, I am a proud member and greeter at Austin Ridge Bible Church Dripping Springs.
You are very involved in the local stock show scene, tell me more about that…
I come from a long lineage of farmers and ranchers.
As part of that, my dad and uncle were 100% FFA and 4H.
As a kid, I was fascinated by old photos of them with show animals, banners, and buckles. Proceeds from their show animals funded their degrees from Texas A&M. For me it was not possible as I was raised in Austin and there was no FFA at my high school.
I knew I would give Nathan and Millie that opportunity – part of the reason we fled Austin to a piece of land just west of Dripping Springs. My direct involvement came well before they were born when I founded a 501C3 – the Lonestar Cattlemen Foundation.
The idea was to raise money and spend it at youth livestock auctions as a reward to those youth’s achievements with their animals. The LSC Foundation this year is celebrating our 20th anniversary. With an incredible board of directors and crazy-generous supporters, we now raise and donate about $200,000/year.
To date, we’ve supported thousands of kids and donated over $2.5 million. To circle back to present, Nathan and Millie both raise/show steers and have since they were eight years old. The highlight of those projects is our local Hays County Livestock Show in January.
After that, we hit the road to state-wide shows in Ft Worth, San Antonio, Austin and Houston.
What do you love about stock showing and what’s important to you about raising your kids in that environment?
While the end game is the actual livestock shows – banners, buckles and auction proceeds for college funds – the love of showing is in the day to day raising and caring for the animals.
It is a full year-long project, with new little calves in the barn before the full-grown steers are shown and gone. The work and responsibility of taking care of the animals is intense. Twice a day the animals are fed, stalls are cleaned, water is filled. The steers are washed, blow-dried and groomed several times a week. They are also walked and “worked” where both kids and animals practice being in the ring.
All of these things teach kids an ethic of hard work and responsibility. These activities go on rain, shine, sleet or snow. They are also taught to be tough and not let adversity win. A kid raising/showing a 1,400 pound animal is guaranteed along the way to get kicked, drug, run over and stepped on. After those rough days, they get up, brush themselves off and go at it again the next day.
They also learn valuable lessons that come with winning and losing. I believe they learn as much from placing last as they do from winning. Two years ago at the county show, Millie was near-last place and then last year won grand champion steer. There were lots of tears with both!
When considering the time and effort, choosing to raise steers is a lifestyle. Vacations are livestock shows, and spur of the moment trips simply don’t happen. Probably most important of all, show animals are a family project. The daily walks to the barn and working as a family team to “get it done” gives us guaranteed, quality daily time together.
And if we don’t spend enough time already on stock shows, Millie (my 13 year old) is also a barrel racer. My truck spends plenty of time pulling a trailer!
What do you love about being a local mortgage lender?
I love that I’m providing a service for clients who are nearly always happy. It’s an exciting time for them. They’re either buying a new home or getting a refinance that saves them money. And I get to be an integral part of making that happen. I love being a resource to any and everyone that may have questions regarding mortgages. It sounds cliché, but I simply love helping people. It’s what I do all day, every day.
Another cool thing about mortgages is it is always new. Each loan has a 30-40 day life and each is unique with its own needed strategy, goals and often problem solving. It’s a short span, but then it is over, we celebrate and I’m on to the next “puzzle” and getting to know a new great family.
I work with an awesome, family-oriented bank – City Bank (NOT Citi). Note the “Y” Why? Because we care. We are a mid-size Texas-based bank headquartered in Lubbock. My local office is in the middle of DS, next door to the post office. I love that we offer and have options for nearly every conceivable loan. In a week, I may help different families achieve a home purchase, refinance, cash out refinance, lot purchase or construction loan. The variety is awesome.
What makes you different from another mortgage broker?
My business is about 95% referrals. It means a great deal to me that my past customers refer their family, friends and neighbors. I also do mortgages for many local real estate agents which is a huge compliment. I have been voted four times Best Mortgage Lender in Dripping Springs.
Success in this industry is not rocket science. I work with every potential customer or current customer exactly as I would treat my mom. I always strive to under promise and over deliver. I do what say, when I say I will do it. Good communication and honesty are key. I always stay available evenings, nights and weekends. When people need me, I am there.
I strive to truly know my customers. I want to be their friend – someone they trust and rely on. What would otherwise typically be a two minute phone conversation with a quick question more often becomes chatting about our families and what is going on in our lives. I go back to the “mom” analogy. My business is not a transaction. It’s a relationship.
I also see every daily contact as an opportunity to share my faith and maybe, in some small way, be a part of bringing others to Christ. In 2016 Kim and I started a local group, The Hill Country Christian Business Network. It is a non-denominational group of local businessmen and women who desire to run our businesses in a way that glorifies Christ. Prior to Covid, the group met weekly. We are now working to get cranked back up.
What are the biggest misconceptions about the mortgage process for new home buyers?
The interesting thing about that question is that it is specific to first time buyers. I find the misconceptions just as often come from seasoned homeowners who have gone through the process previously but were never truly educated on “whys and hows” of their loan.
One misconception is centered on interest rate. When the first question from a potential borrower is “What rate can you get me on…” I know we have some education ahead of us. There are dozens of ways for a mortgage lender to make a rate appear more attractive than it really is.
Discount points are a way for any borrower to lower their rate. However, that should always be a decision of the borrower after they fully understand how rates, discount points and lender credits work. A dirty and unfortunate trick in the mortgage world is to quote a lower rate just to get the someone on the hook. We call them “rate slingers”. The cost to have that low rate is easy to bury and hide in other fees. It’s a game I simply will not play. And the irony is that given the chance to explain and educate, I’ll get that loan nearly every time based solely on the education and honesty.
Where is the best place for new business owners moving into the area to connect and network with others?
I am a huge proponent of our Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce. I have been on the board of directors for four years. I always tell potential chamber members that joining, in and of itself, is not where the value is. The value is in networking and getting to know other business owners. People naturally do business with those we know, like and trust. Different chamber functions are the perfect place to make those connections. And after an introduction is made, a one-on-one coffee or lunch provides the chance to really get to know one another.
You are an outdoorsman, tell us more about your love for that…
The outdoors is in my blood. My love for hunting and fishing were a gift from my grandfather and my dad. I have always been blessed with ample opportunities to hunt and fish. The “fever” hit at a very young age and never left.
Being a part of a Hill Country dawn, watching nature come alive is a gift. These days, I get the most pleasure sharing it with Nathan and Millie. Quiet time in a deer blind with them is priceless.
If you were to go out and enjoy a Saturday in this area, where would you go and what would you do?
My idea of an enjoyable Saturday is probably a bit different than most. I would be somewhere on our property riding a mower, repairing a fence, building a retaining wall, or helping wash a steer. Maybe I’d be helping Kim with other landscaping. She is an INCREDIBLE landscaper and artist!
It sounds like you stay busy??
Idle hands are the Devil’s workshop!
How can people reach you?
512-203-5869, trey@treypowers.com and my website
I love getting to know and introducing you to the local people in Dripping Springs! They are what make this community worth living in!
If you are interested in learning more about this area or want to purchase or sell a home in this area then I would love to help you. As a local Dripping Springs Realtor I strive to serve others to the best of my abilities and love this little community!
Reach out to my by phone or email and I’m happy to help! 512-569-8480 or laurenclark@magnoliarealty.com
