Clint Harp is best known to many as the soft-spoken carpenter from Fixer Upper, the hit HGTV show hosted by Chip and Joanna Gaines. With his warm smile and love for reclaimed wood, Clint became a fan favorite. But behind the scenes, his life story is marked by hardship, near financial ruin, and emotional struggle — a journey that could have ended in tragedy but instead turned into something deeply inspiring.
Clint once had what many would call the American dream: a stable corporate job, a beautiful wife, and three kids. But that dream came with a cost. Trapped in a high-stress sales job that paid well but drained his soul, Clint felt like he was slowly losing himself. The deeper he got into the corporate world, the more he realized it wasn’t his purpose.
His desire to pursue woodworking full-time began to burn inside him. But walking away from a stable income with a family to support was not a simple decision — and it came with a price.
Losing It All to Chase a Dream
Clint eventually took a leap of faith. He quit his job and began chasing his dream of becoming a full-time craftsman. But dreams don’t always pay the bills, especially not in the beginning. The Harp family sold their home, moved into a tiny apartment in Waco, Texas, and watched their bank account dwindle to almost nothing. At one point, Clint was jobless, out of savings, and desperately looking for ways to provide for his family.
It was during this time, at their lowest point, that tragedy loomed over their lives — not in the form of a single event, but in the crushing weight of financial fear, lost identity, and emotional burnout. Clint was close to giving up.
The Chance Encounter That Changed Everything
Just when things looked bleakest, fate intervened. Clint met Chip Gaines at a gas station. The two struck up a conversation that led to Clint building furniture for Fixer Upper. That single moment turned everything around.
But it wasn’t instant success. Even after landing the opportunity, Clint struggled with self-doubt, workload stress, and pressure to provide. He often says the hardest part wasn’t finding success—it was surviving long enough to reach it.
Lawsuit that changed Clint’s life forever
In 2018, Clint Harp found himself at the center of a serious legal battle. A woman named Tamra Rivera filed a lawsuit against him and his company, Harp Holdings, LLC. She claimed she suffered severe injuries after falling down the front staircase of Harp’s Waco, Texas, rental property — famously known as the Harp House.
According to the suit, the stairs were unsafe. The claims included allegations that the steps lacked proper handrails and didn’t meet building code requirements. Rivera’s legal team sought up to $1 million in damages, arguing that the injury permanently affected her quality of life.
The lawsuit accused Clint not only of negligence but of profiting from an unsafe structure — one that had been featured on national television.
And that wasn’t the end. In 2019, another woman, Jessica Pena, also filed a similar lawsuit after suffering a fall on the same stairs. Though Clint was eventually cleared in one of the cases, the cost of legal defense, reputation damage, and lingering liability weighed heavily on him.
Listing the Harp House: A Tough Call
As the legal bills mounted and uncertainty loomed, Clint was forced to make a painful decision: sell the Harp House. This wasn’t just any property — this was the 1913-built home that had become a symbol of his rise to success. Lovingly restored with signature Harp craftsmanship, the house featured five bedrooms, 3.5 baths, soaring ceilings, a marble kitchen island, a claw-foot tub, and hand-built wood features throughout.
It had been his family’s home. It had been a short-term rental. And more than anything, it had been a dream made real.
In 2021, he listed the home for $899,000 — a price that reflected its design, popularity, and historic charm. But no buyer came.
A Painful Sale, at a Painful Price
Years passed. Legal bills didn’t. Eventually, in 2024, Clint relisted the home — this time at a significantly reduced price of $650,000. But even that didn’t stick. By May 2024, the asking price dropped again, this time to $550,000.
Finally, in August 2024, the house sold. Quietly. Without fanfare. And for significantly less than its original asking price.
The final sale price? Approximately 40% less than Clint had originally hoped for.
While Clint never publicly admitted the sale was tied to settling lawsuits, the timeline, circumstances, and legal weight suggest otherwise. Selling that home — his pride and joy — likely provided the financial relief he needed to close a painful chapter.
The Emotional Toll
Selling the Harp House wasn’t just a business transaction. It was an emotional loss. Clint poured years of hard labor and love into that home. To watch it leave his hands — and at a deep financial loss — was devastating.
Fans saw a smiling face on TV, but behind the scenes was a man forced to give up a major piece of his life to move on. A man who dreamed big, built bigger, and lost more than most will ever know.
As of mid-2025, Clint Harp—best known as the affable carpenter from HGTV’s Fixer Upper and host of Magnolia Network’s Restoration Road—has embarked on a new chapter in his professional life.
Transition to Real Estate
In April 2025, Clint announced his decision to pivot from television and woodworking to real estate. He obtained his realtor license and joined Camille Johnson Realtors in Waco, Texas. This move was deeply personal; Camille Johnson had been instrumental in Clint and his wife Kelly’s early days in Waco, assisting them during their initial home-buying experiences. Clint expressed enthusiasm about this new venture, stating, “New journey. New chapter,” and emphasized his commitment to providing exceptional service to clients through the 254 Realty Group, a team he co-founded under Camille Johnson Realtors .
Closure of Harp Design Co.
In January 2023, Clint and Kelly made the difficult decision to close Harp Design Co., their beloved furniture business.The closure was attributed to the challenges of balancing multiple commitments, including raising a family, Kelly’s pursuit of a Master’s degree in clinical psychology, and Clint’s television projects. In a heartfelt message, they shared, “Our little company has grown more than we dreamed, but now, it’s time to shift!” .
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