a family affair

For Mickey and Trish Bellows, family doesn’t stop with the two families they blended together when they got married. They consider those that they serve in business a part of the family as well.

Mickey Bellows got into real estate simply because he was trying to support his son. “I worked in the auto glass industry for more than twenty years and had my own business up in Denton,” Mickey said. “Our oldest son, Jason, was looking to change careers from automobile sales and asked me to go to real estate school with him, so I did. It turns out I fell in love with the business.” Working together for Century 21, the two were such a great team that they achieved Century 21’s Centurion level sales after a few short years in the business. Then, the 2008 financial crash happened. Jason decided to return to school to change careers — he’s now a registered nurse — and Mickey stayed in real estate. After a few years of struggle, his business was off and running again, and in 2013, Trish decided to join him. “We’ve seen nothing but growth since,” Mickey said.

Growth for the Bellows isn’t just about business; it’s also personal. When Mickey and Trish got married, they blended their two families from previous marriages. Together, they have six children, 17 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. “We call ourselves the Bellows Bunch,” Trish said. “I had two kids, and Mickey had four. My kids, Chris and April, took his name when we got married, so he basically became their father. Even though our kids are stepbrothers and stepsisters to each other, they couldn’t be closer.”

The family has also always done almost everything together. Trish and Mickey even bought not one but two 24-passenger buses over the years so that everyone could ride together when they traveled on vacations. “We frequently vacation together, so we needed a vehicle that could accommodate our large extended family. We’ve driven it to destinations such as Pigeon Forge, TN, Orlando, FL, and New Braunfels. This year, we all went to Broken Bow, OK, where we rented a large home on 40 acres and spent a week playing games, riding four-wheelers, and enjoying water and outdoor activities in the Broken Bow area,” Trish said. Mickey and Trish recently traded in the bus for an RV that they use frequently to travel to, you guessed it, visit their oldest daughter Rejeana and their grandchildren in Iowa and Florida. “Spending time with family is everything to us,” Mickey said. But family just isn’t about the members of the two families that Mickey and Trish blended together when they got married. For them, their clients are family as well. “Our clients are like family to us. We have truly become connected and have built many lifelong friendships. Many of our clients use us over and over again when buying or selling a home and frequently refer us to their friends and family,” Trish said.

With their unique experience as parents in a big, blended family, Mickey and Trish can offer a unique perspective when they’re out looking at houses with their clients. “We love to help other families with similar situations, so we’ve got lots of advice for people with big families if they ask for it,” Trish said. “Lots of times, people with blended families want to have closer relationships between all the kids, so they want the kids to be right there with them at all times. But we know from experience that the kids also need their own space. So, we look for houses that can offer that.” Another thing that many people with several children overlook is something as simple as a house that has an alarm. “It’s not about keeping people out, but keeping all the kids in,” said Trish.

Speaking of giving clients advice, Mickey and Trish know that buying and selling real estate isn’t just a transaction for most people. It’s part of their overall financial journey. One of the ways that they help their clients manage the financial component of real estate is by sharing what they learned through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University.

“We took the initial classes through our church and thought that many of our clients could benefit from it. So, we partnered with the Dave Ramsey organization and not only offer Financial Peace University classes to our clients, but we also service referrals from the organization that need help with real estate,” Mickey said. “Money is such a stressor for people. If you can keep yourself in a good money situation, it keeps the stress off of you, and you can give to others when they need it to be a part of the community.”

Giving back is a huge part of the Bellows’ lives, and two groups that are near and dear to their hearts are veterans and first responders since Trish’s dad is a veteran and their son Brian is a firefighter, and son Tyler is a former EMT. They mainly give to these groups through a charity called Tunnel to Towers, which celebrates the life of New York firefighter Stephen Siller who gave his life helping others on 9/11.

Family really is ingrained in everything the Bellows do, even when it comes to Mickey’s pride and joy, a 1930 Ford Model A that Trish lovingly refers to as “The Money Pit.” Mickey’s friend found the car in a barn in Arkansas back in 1982 and has restored it three times with various members of the family helping with the restoration. But Trish can’t complain too much about it. Cars are what brought them together in the first place. “Mickey took me to a car show at Southfork Ranch, and after that, we started dating,” she said. “Besides, we all need a hobby. I spend about as much on the grandkids as he does on his car, so we’re pretty much even.”

Bryan joined the mortgage business in 1994

Bryan has been in the "Top 1% of all Originators" nationally every year since 2016, as listed by Mortgage Originator magazine.

The Bryan Connatser Team was voted the Silver Award winner in the Best in DFW People's Choice Awards, by The Dallas Morning News for 2022 in November.

Bryan has been named Best Mortgage Professional by D Magazine every year since 2016, and PLATINUM PRODUCER in 2020 & 2021.