Craig and Cynthia Carlson are proud High Country residents who bring deep local knowledge, extensive business experience, and a service-first approach to their real estate practice. After relocating from Southern California in 2009, they quickly fell in love with the natural beauty of the Appalachian Mountains and, just as importantly, the welcoming people and lifestyle that define the area. Over the years, they have immersed themselves in the community and enjoy sharing their firsthand knowledge of the High Country with clients. Before entering real estate, Craig and Cynthia owned and operated several successful businesses, including restaurants, a small family ski resort in California, and and Tennis and Fitness Club in Boone, North Carolina. As current homeowners and former business owners in Boone, they bring a well-rounded, practical perspective to buying and selling real estate and are well prepared to navigate the many details that can arise during a transaction.
Specializing in luxury real estate, Craig and Cynthia can provide a high level of market expertise and discretion while maintaining a no-pressure approach to every client relationship. They believe informed, confident clients make the best decisions and pride themselves on offering guidance without urgency and sales tactics. When working with buyers, their focus is on understanding each client's goals and helping them find the right property at the right pace. For sellers, they provide strategic advice on preparing and pricing homes to ensure strong first impressions and optimal market positioning.
Their commitment to excellence is reinforced by numerous professional certifications and recognitions, including Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR®), Resort & Second-Home Property Specialists (RSPS), Tate New Homes Certified, Tate Luxury Certified, tate Relocation Certified, Tate eService Certified, and RMC Relocation Certified. They are also Chairman's Circle members and hold the Green Penguin Quality Certification, reflecting their dedication to continued education, ethical standards, and exceptional client service.
Craig and Cynthia are committed to delivering a refined real estate experience built on trust, expertise, and respect.
Awaken to crisp mountain air and spectacular, beautifully layered vistas featuring the iconic Grandfather Mountain. Positioned at an impressive elevation of approximately 4,600 feet, this premium lot is tucked away at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, offering the perfect blend of exclusive privacy and pristine natural beauty.The property features a highly desirable level to gently sloping
Craig & Cynthia CarlsonHoward Hanna Allen Tate Real Estate Blowing Rock
This furnished mountain retreat offers classic style and modern refinement, perfectly situated on a quiet cul-de-sac for ultimate privacy. The home’s exterior is framed by professional hardscaping and offers ample parking. The living room features soaring vaulted ceilings and a magnificent stacked stone fireplace. The interior layout provides a sophisticated atmosphere where a versatile open loft
Craig & Cynthia CarlsonHoward Hanna Allen Tate Real Estate Blowing Rock
Craig & Cynthia CarlsonHoward Hanna Allen Tate Real Estate Blowing Rock
Other Experience
First Time Home Buyers, Investments, Luxury Homes
Craig & Cynthia's Reviews
35 Reviews
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Our realtor Craig Carlson has been the best I've ever worked with. Even though our purchase was a small lot, Craig Always kept us updated on progress. This is very important when you are an out of town buyer. --Angela Westmorland
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig is the best!! He went above and beyond in his duties/responsibilities as our agent. Craig was available every step of the way throughout the process. You not only gain an experienced, efficient Realtor when you choose Craig Carlson, you gain a friend! --Joe & Susan Royall
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig is a great agent and did an excellent job for us with everything from showings through closing. --Jeff Fissel
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig went over and above at every turn. We could not have picked a better realtor. I would highly recommend him to anyone needing a high country realtor. Thank you so much Craig, we really appreciate all that you did for us! --Terri Province
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
We came to Craig with our criteria for a vacation home. He did some outstanding research narrowing the list down to about 8 properties that he scheduled us to see over a 2 day period. All of the properties we saw fit our needs. In fact, the only difficulty we had was choosing one to place an offer on. After the sale, Craig has been extremely helpful in answering questions about the house by coordinating communication with the seller. --Troy Smith
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig recently helped my wife and I fulfill our dream of owning a log cabin in the North Carolina mountains. With his help we identified, negotiated and closed in 63 days. From the start he really had a great understanding of what we were looking for. No wasted viewings. He was extremely flexible and always very quick to respond to any request. A great realtor and a better person. I would highly recommend him! --Greg Waterstradt
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
This was the best experience I have had with a realtor. Craig met with my husband and I to find us our perfect home. He truly listened to what we were looking for. Great guy. Great integrity great knowledge of the area and I would recommend him highly. --Eleni Karagenis-Gomez
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
I highly recommend Craig. He was very personable and professional, and he also got results. I am from out of the area, and Craig took the time to show me many properties that were in my price range, while being patient as I was trying to decide what I was looking for--a mountain house with great views or property with some acreage (I got both.) Once I had landed on a property and a negotiating strategy, Craig executed the negotiations perfectly. The closing process went without a hitch, and Craig kept me informed and on track, which was especially important since I was out of the area. Craig is contentious and thorough, and knows the area well. You will be in good hands with Craig as your realtor. --Bill McAweeney
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig was fabulous to work with. He showed us many homes and never lost patience or enthusiasm. His knowledge of the area was so helpful and he quickly learned our preferences. We valued his opinions about properties. He was always able to work around our schedules and remained in contact. Due to new regulations our closing was tortuous as our lender coped with new requirements. Craig was a huge help assuring that any information required was quickly provided. We will miss him and would recommend him to ANYONE. --Debby Hallyburton
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig & Cynthia helped us buy our first home, and they were amazing. The house hunting and purchasing process is overwhelming to begin with, but when you factor in my husband's crazy work schedule, two toddlers, snow storms, and being new to the process, there’s no way we could have done it without them. They worked with us at odd hours and were a sounding board when we needed guidance from finding a lender to choosing a closing attorney. I appreciated getting their honest feedback about the places we saw (and the help entertaining the kids while we looked around). Now that we’re in our new place, I can’t wait to have Craig and Cynthia over for dinner. We just appreciate them so much! --Courtney McClellan-Brown
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
It was a pleasure working with Craig. He is a kind, informed and conscientious realtor. He always responds quickly to any phone, email or text message. Even now, weeks after closing and moving in he answers any and all my questions quickly. We not only experienced a good real-estate purchase experience, we gained a friend. --L.M.
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
I just finished closing with Craig last week and I definitely made him earn his money, we were looking for properties for over the span of multiple months, he always answered my phone calls or replied back to my emails immediately every time. When I wanted to drive around all over town he was always game to do so. Probably one of the best Realtors I've worked with us far in my life and I'm very grateful and appreciative of his services.. if reviews allowed me to put 10 Stars down, I would give him all 10!!! --Matt Sredzinski
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig listened to our requests and found us exactly what we wanted. He returns calls and emails promptly. Craig has checked on us several times since the purchase of our property. He is a joy to work with. --Angie Jones
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig Carlson was excellent to work with. He was very knowledgeable of the area and helpful throughout the process. He helped us get a great deal on our mountain property. I would highly recommend him to my friends, and if I was in the market again, he would be my first choice of agents to work with in the High Country. --Brandon Keith
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig was fantastic to work with! He was responsive, well informed and gave excellent overall advice. He went above and beyond to help us during the purchase of our property in Valle Crucis. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking to purchase property up in the High Country. --Nick Anson
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig & Cynthia did an excellent job helping us sell our house. They suggested a listing price that got us a full-price offer within 24 hours on the market. They worked with our attorney to make sure all the paperwork was in order and brought our check to us after closing. We’ll definitely use them again when we have another property to sell in the High Country! -- Cindy Shelton
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig was fantastic to work with! He was responsive, well informed and gave excellent overall advice. He went above and beyond to help us during the purchase of our property in Valle Crucis. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking to purchase property up in the High Country. --Susan Concordia
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig recently assisted us with a long distance purchase on a small piece of property. Though it wasn't a huge sale, Craig treated us like we were a top priority. Craig's diligence and professionalism made the entire process a joy, and we are very thankful that Craig was the realtor handling our purchase. I would highly recommend Craig's services, and I wouldn't hesitate to choose him to handle any property purchases or sales for us the future. --Tonya Lee
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig is a very knowledgeable person who is results-oriented and very in tune with the needs of his clients. His expertise in providing advice and his ability to clients' needs is exceptional. It was a pleasure to work with Craig and we would definitely recommend him to anyone! --Fiebe Family
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig went above and beyond to help us find the right house. Even after we had moved in, he came by weeks later to help fix a window sash. I've never known a real estate agent who does as much as Craig does for his clients. --Tom Marshall
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig was great. He worked with us whenever we came to town and then handled everything for us when we were home ( we live in Florida). He quickly got a feel for what we were looking for, sent us relevant links and was very responsive to our requests. I would not work with any one else. --Glenn Goranson
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig was great - very patient and had a wealth of knowledge about the area and local real estate. He really took the time to understand what we were looking for and showed us some great places. He had us set up with email alerts so that we could see the type of places we were interested in as soon as they came on the market and he helped us find our dream home at a great price. I would highly recommend Craig to anybody looking to buy or sell a property in the area. --Angus Lamond
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
You can never go wrong with honesty. That is why I would wholeheartedly recommend Craig to take care of all your real estate needs. He works long and hard to provide all of the help you would expect from your realtor. His attention to detail is one of his greatest assets. So, when you get ready to sell or purchase a home, he is truly the one you want to have on your side. --Butch Sholar
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig was great. We live in a different area than the home we purchased, so Craig's knowledge of the local market was invaluable. He was also prompt in his responses to questions we had and I would recommend him to anybody looking to buy or sell real estate in the area. --Sandra Szoke
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig was personable, knowledgeable, and attentive to detail. He provided more service than I asked for or expected in the buying process. I would recommend Craig to anyone looking for a home in the area. --Rick Higgins
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
We just did a closing with Craig last week (Oct. 2016) and he was fantastic! We are all out of state buyers and he set us up with all of the best local talent to navigate a smooth transaction. Craig met and showed us several properties on different occasions and totally made himself available for any questions and additional information required to make this close successful! Craig is very dedicated to his clients and it was a pleasure working with him. --JP Province
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig was absolutely wonderful! He was extremely knowledgeable about the market, thoughtful with all of our requests, and overall took excellent care of us throughout the entire process. He found us the perfect home and gave great advice to ensure our offer was accepted. He continues to take great care even after the sale, providing local recommendations for professional services as needed. I would recommend Craig to everyone! --Carey Fissel
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig Carlson was such a pleasure to work with and incredibly accommodating. He always arrived to the site(s) before us and had a lot of information to share. We also appreciated his quick response to phone calls and emails. We highly recommend Craig and will certainly request his service should we find ourselves in the market for another property in the High Country! --Erin Peters
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
The moment we asked him about properties we were getting DAILY updates on houses we might be interested in. He knew what we wanted and looked for the specifics but was not afraid to think outside the box. Because of this we found a house that we honestly don't believe we would have discovered with another Realtor. All requests were responded to in a timely fashion. He continued to check on us even after we close on the house. He showed us the utmost care and professionalism. --JBJ
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
I have bought and sold dozens of properties using various realtors over the years. Craig Carlson is one of the best I have ever worked. He is helpful, professional, responsive and courteous. Thanks Craig for making my home purchase a pleasure. --Terry Smithwick
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig was amazing throughout our search and made the buying process painless and smooth! He went out of his way on several occasions during the process to make sure we were happy and found us our perfect home- highly recommend!! --Kerri
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
My wife and I have been looking unsuccessfully for the perfect house in the mountains for years. Craig did an excellent job, first understanding what we were looking for and then providing us with homes to visit. He provided excellent and objective insight into the areas and homes with no pressure. He was very responsive and provided outstanding support through the inspections and closing processes, working with contractors and inspectors for us. We couldn't be happier with Craig. Thank you for your help. --Brian Noga
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig was very helpful from the beginning, as soon as we met, he submitted the contract to the seller and we were on our way to a quick and smooth negotiation process and subsequent closing of the transaction. We plan to use Craig to acquire other properties on the area. He continues to be a resource in helping identify properties that fall under our criteria
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
It took almost 2 yrs to find our perfect family home as we looked while living out of town! With Craig's vast knowledge of the area, connections and unsurpassed patience, we found the one. I would recommend Craig to anyone buying or selling! He guided us from the beginning through closing and EVERYTHING in between. He is prompt with communication, thrives on attention to details, honest & trustworthy. He has become a family friend and we look forward to a long lasting relationship. Thank you Craig for all you have given our family!!! We will see you soon! --Carol Corwin
4/8/18Craig & Cynthia Carlson
Homes.com Review
Craig is very knowledgeable of the areas in the high country. He helped us sell a home & then find our current home. He is very patient too. Craig goes beyond being your realtor, he becomes your friend. If you or anybody you know is looking for a realtor, I highly recommend Craig! --Barbara Sholar
