SAN JOSE, Calif. – San José State University mourns the loss of James “Jim” Carter, an All-American Spartan offensive guard, 1986 California Bowl Champion, SJSU Hall of Fame inductee, and prominent Bay Area business leader. Throughout his life, Carter embodied the determination, competitiveness, and teamwork that defined his athletic career.
- Legacy on the Gridiron: Attending SJSU on a football scholarship, Carter played an integral role during a dominant era of Spartan football, helping lead teams to a combined 20–4 record across the 1986 and 1987 seasons. The legendary 1986 California Bowl championship squad was later inducted into the SJSU Athletics Hall of Fame, cementing Carter’s place in university history.
- Business Leadership & Entrepreneurship: Applying his gridiron lessons of preparation and resilience, Carter forged a distinguished multi-faceted career across real estate, tech, and corporate leadership after completing his MBA.
- Real Estate & Brokerage: A founding team member of Intero Real Estate Services in 2002, Carter participated in over $1 billion in personal transaction volume and was named the No. 1 producing broker in the Intero/Berkshire Hathaway Commercial division in 2019.
- Corporate Executive: Served as CEO of Redwood City-headquartered HomeSmiles Inc., expanding the service across six California franchise locations.
- Author: Authored two books reflecting his entrepreneurial mindset, including the industry guide A Guide to MAKING IT in Real Estate and the novel The Rip-Off.
- Local Business Owner: Alongside his wife of 38 years, Jane, Carter co-owns and has operated Dance Academy USA in Cupertino for over 36 years, building it into one of California's largest dance schools and managing a combined staff of up to 200 across multiple ventures.
- Philanthropy & Community Impact: Carter maintained a deep, lifelong connection to San José State. He and his wife, Jane—residents of Los Altos and parents to three adult daughters—contributed a major six-figure gift to SJSU Athletics toward the development of eastside stadium facilities, now known as the Habbas Law Athletics Center at CEFCU Stadium.
For all of his success—as a college athlete, entrepreneur, real estate professional, executive, author, and business owner—Jim believed that success ultimately came down to something much simpler: character and relationships.
Two principles guided him throughout his life: always do the right thing, and never lose sight of the importance of relationships.
Those weren't simply words to Jim. They influenced how he conducted business, how he treated people, and how he lived his life.
Jim understood that transactions eventually close, seasons end, records are broken, and professional titles change. What remains are the people whose lives you touched and the relationships you built along the way.
That may be the most fitting measure of Jim Carter's life.
He was a Spartan, a competitor, a businessman, an entrepreneur, an author, and a leader. But above all, he was a husband, father, grandfather, friend, teammate, and mentor whose greatest pride came from the people he loved and the relationships he built.
His accomplishments were considerable.
His relationships were his legacy.
#AllSpartans