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Carpenter Real Estate was opened by Harry W. Carpenter in 1947 who moved to Alpine in 1944. A native of Bell County, Texas, doctors advised him that he may not live past 60 or 65 years if he did not move to a higher and dryer climate due to serious health problems. He accepted a job with the IRS in El Paso, Texas which was the only government position open at the time. After one year of training, he was assigned to Alpine and the surrounding counties in 1944 and became one of the “most unpopular” people in Alpine. His health improved dramatically and loving Alpine, he resigned from the IRS and opened a public accounting office. He gradually won the favor and popularity in the community helping those that had never kept records or filed a tax return. 

As Alpine began to grow, he saw the need for a real estate agency so he sold the accounting business and opened Carpenter Real Estate in 1947. Selling homes and large ranches were his specialty. To show ranches in the area was no picnic, few paved roads existed and car tires were not made for the off roads. In those days- food, water, tire patches, and an air pump were his best tools in the ranch brokerage trade. 

Seeing the need for housing as Alpine grew, Mr. Carpenter purchased 75 acres from Herbert Kokernot on the north side of town and developed Carpenter Addition. It remains one of the nicer in town home subdivisions and the only one to this day with curbed and sidewalk streets. The subdivision now has 75+/- brick and stucco homes ranging in price from $150,000 to $350,000. 

In 1965 Mr. Carpenter invited his son, John W. (Johnny) Carpenter, to join him in the business as a salesman, who later became an Associate Broker in 1968. Since that time, Johnny has sold over 70 large ranches totaling over a million acres and countless Alpine and country homes. There are few ranches within a 100 miles radius of Alpine that he has not been on and his knowledge of the country is almost unequaled. Johnny also built over twenty homes in the Carpenter Addition and other areas. 

Johnny graduated from Alpine High School and Sul Ross State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business. He has served as President of the Student Body at Sul Ross State University, President of Alpine Lions Club, President of the Alpine Chamber of Commerce, Board Member of the Brewster Memorial Hospital and many other Chamber & Economic Development Committees. Climate change must have been good for Harry Carpenter who died in 2004 at the age of 90 years old. Johnny Carpenter continues to operate Carpenter Real Estate specializing in homes and large ranches with his wife Fay Carpenter (Associate Broker) as the oldest family operated business in Alpine.