Meet Clif Ingram Jr.

Clif Ingram Jr. is not your typical real estate agent. He's a licensed Broker, an active General Contractor, an Auburn University graduate, a former IBM consultant, a small business owner, a musician, and — perhaps most usefully — a certified mushroom expert. The common thread running through all of it is the same: large, complex decisions that require both data and trust.

At IBM, Clif managed contracts worth hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. Real estate, he'll tell you, is no different. The numbers are serious, the decisions are personal, and the client's vision has to stay at the center of every step. His approach is straightforward — he brings the data and the expertise, and then he lets clients make up their own mind.

His General Contractor license — active since 2014, covering both residential and commercial — means he walks through a mountain property differently than most agents. He knows what he's looking at when he sees a foundation, a roof line, or an aging septic system. His take: imperfection is not an immediate deal breaker. In a mountain market where no property is without its quirks, that perspective is worth a great deal.

A North Carolina native raised in Pilot Mountain, Clif has put down deep roots in Sylva. He's a Jackson Parks and Recreation member, a disc golf regular, and an active member of the Katuwah Rainbow Family and Auburn Alumni community. When the week is done, you'll find him at Lake Santeetlah or Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest — two of WNC's quieter treasures — or playing with the Mountain Winds Band.

At home in Sylva, Clif shares life with his wife Melissa, daughter Leona, a palomino quarter horse, a miniature donkey, two dogs, some quail, and a rabbit. He is devoted to all of them equally, though Leona's horse and donkey may have a slight edge.