Carpenter Real Estate was established in 1947 by Harry W. Carpenter, who had relocated to Alpine in 1944. Originally from Bell County, Texas, Harry faced serious health issues that prompted doctors to recommend a move to a higher and drier climate to improve his chances of living past the age of 60 or 65. Accepting a job with the IRS in El Paso, Texas, he relocated and underwent a year of training before being assigned to Alpine and the surrounding counties in 1944. Initially, he was not well-received in the Alpine community but saw a remarkable improvement in his health due to the climate. His love for Alpine led him to resign from the IRS and establish a public accounting office, gradually earning the favor and popularity of the community by helping individuals who had never maintained financial records or filed tax returns.
As Alpine experienced growth, Harry recognized the need for a real estate agency. Consequently, he sold his accounting business and founded Carpenter Real Estate in 1947, specializing in the sale of homes and large ranches. Showing ranches in the area presented challenges, as there were few paved roads, and car tires were not designed for off-road terrain. In those days, Harry relied on essentials like food, water, tire patches, and an air pump as his primary tools in the ranch brokerage trade.
Recognizing the growing housing demand in Alpine, Harry purchased 75 acres from Herbert Kokernot on the north side of town and developed Carpenter Addition, which remains one of the town’s premier home subdivisions. To this day, it stands as the only subdivision with curbed and sidewalked streets. The Carpenter Addition now boasts approximately 75 brick and stucco homes with price ranges between $150,000 and $350,000.
In 1965, Harry Carpenter invited his son, John W. (Johnny) Carpenter, to join the business as a salesman, eventually becoming an Associate Broker in 1968. Johnny’s tenure in the real estate industry has been marked by over 70 large ranch sales totaling over a million acres and numerous transactions involving Alpine and country homes. His extensive knowledge of the region is virtually unparalleled, having visited nearly every ranch within a 100-mile radius of Alpine. Johnny also constructed over twenty homes in the Carpenter Addition and other areas.
Johnny Carpenter holds a degree in Business from Alpine High School and Sul Ross State University. He has held various leadership roles, including President of the Student Body at Sul Ross State University, President of the Alpine Lions Club, President of the Alpine Chamber of Commerce, and served as a Board Member of the Brewster Memorial Hospital, among other contributions to Chamber and Economic Development Committees. Harry Carpenter passed away in 2004 at the age of 90, and Johnny Carpenter continues to lead Carpenter Real Estate alongside his wife Fay Carpenter, making it the longest-standing family-operated business in Alpine, specializing in homes and large ranches.
