Thomas Kortus, Nest Realty

05/14/2026

JUST LISTED IN CHAPEL HILL: 3 beds | 2 baths | 1,500 SQFT | .92 acres | 2 car garage | one level living | $654,000

WARNING: touring 1212 Tallyho Trail may cause sudden urges to buy a rocking chair, start a garden, and tell people, “We’ve really been enjoying the trees lately.” 🌲

Fully updated. One-level living. Nearly an acre of woods and peace and birds doing their little bird things. Cathedral ceilings, skylights, gorgeous renovated kitchen + baths, stone fireplace, massive deck, fenced yard, fire pit, fruit trees, and zero “we’ll renovate later” energy.

It feels like a mountain getaway… except you’re still minutes from Chapel Hill coffee shops, breweries, groceries, and live music.
Also: metal roof, sealed crawlspace, detached 2-car garage with giant attic storage because apparently adulthood requires 47 storage bins.

Rarely does a house feel this calm, this updated, and this ready to enjoy from day one. 🌿

Some houses you tour. Others you feel. At 1212 Tallyho Trail, dappled sunlight filters through tall pines and something shifts - you slow down, breathe a little deeper, and realize this home was designed for a different pace of life. Set on a .92-acre ...

05/14/2026

JUST LISTED @ $439,000! 3 beds | 2.5 baths | 1,500 sqft

Affordable… in Cary?! Sounds fake, honestly. But 113 Arvo Lane is VERY real.

And the updates? Already done for you:
✨ Popcorn ceilings removed
✨ Fresh interior paint
✨ New warm LVP floors downstairs + new carpet upstairs
✨ Refreshed kitchen with granite counters + updated cabinets
✨ New light fixtures, fans, blinds, doors + sliding glass door
✨ New roof (2023) + new deck (2024)
✨ AC replaced in 2018

3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, vaulted ceilings, wood-burning fireplace, fenced backyard, and one of the largest lots in the neighborhood. Plus legit storage space for bikes, kayaks, holiday bins, and all the other stuff adulthood somehow requires.
Walk to coffee, groceries, restaurants, and hop on Cary’s incredible greenway trails in minutes.

Updated. Functional. Fun. And somehow still affordable. A rare Cary unicorn. 🦄

Affordable... in Cary?! I know. It sounds suspicious. Like ''what's the catch?'' energy. But nope--113 Arvo Lane is very real and very ready. The current owners have already poured the time, money, and energy into the updates - so you don't have to. Po...

05/01/2026

Join me in supporting World Relief Durham! Use my promo code link for 25% off race admission:
https://runsignup.com/Race/Register?raceId=182315&coupon=KortusPlatinum

The Run for Refugees 5K is back on August 22 in downtown Durham! 🏃🏃‍♀️ Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Thomas Kortus, Nest Realty for helping us stand with refugees and immigrants in our community. Learn more and register at the link in our bio.

04/30/2026

JUST LISTED! 1801 Round Rock Blvd, Durham 27703

4 bedrooms + office, expansive loft, formal dining room | 3.5 bathrooms | 3,120 soft | 2 car garage | screened porch | deck | covered from porch | fenced backyard | welcome home!

Some houses try really hard to impress you. This one hands you a drink and says, “stay a while.”

1801 Round Rock Blvd isn’t about square footage — it’s about how life feels five minutes after you get home. Drop your bag, hit the screened porch, light the fire pit, and suddenly it’s 10pm and nobody’s in a hurry.

No carpet. Gorgeous hardwoods everywhere. A kitchen built for real life (big island, butler’s pantry, storage for days). Office when you need it, loft when you don’t. Primary suite = instant reset.
Outside? Screened porch, deck, front porch, and a fenced backyard with a fire pit that becomes the main event.

And then there’s Brightleaf Club life — pool, slides, tennis, fitness center, trails — basically a resort you don’t have to check out of.
10 min to Falls Lake. 15 to Umstead. 20 to Eno.

Not just a house. A rhythm. Easy, social, and full.

Some houses try really hard to impress you. This one welcomes you in, hands you a drink, and says, ''stay a while.'' 1801 Round Rock Blvd isn't about square footage (though there's plenty). It's about how your life feels five minutes after you get home...

04/23/2026

Have you checked out one of my newer listings? 2502 Englewood Ave., Durham is adorable! Enjoy and spread the good tied!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXeTCedBbbn/?igsh=MXZrc3cxem85YjI2bA==

04/08/2026

Mark your calendars! Run, Rock, and Roll! June 13! I am grateful for the opportunity to serve on the board of L'Arche NC and we have a fundraiser coming up! Sharing with all my local runners, walkers, and rollers! Or just come and support this incredible nonprofit organization! L’Arche North Carolina cultivates inclusive communities where people across the spectrum of intellectual and developmental disability identities live and flourish together.
They envision a just society where diverse people with and without disabilities thrive.

One way they do this is by providing affordable housing for IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) folks!

https://givebutter.com/runwalkroll?fbclid=IwY2xjawRDHcpleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFYcW1ieUFlR09xdTd4RGd0c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHttyVgigmfTgNrc8_ydSsbBoT6L8aU9PH8bkIkNoUEM2oZ39kqx_Ki4tylSq_aem_rXiVvbnLIOBfXqKw88En1w

By L'Arche North Carolina

04/02/2026

JUST LISTED! 2502 Englewood Ave, Durham 27705
3 bedrooms | 2 bathrooms | $725,000

1,757 Total Square Feet of Lovely! Some homes are all charm and no follow-through. Others are all updates and zero soul. This one? It refuses to choose. Welcome to this 1920s historic bungalow that somehow manages to be both wildly charming and incredibly responsible (yes, the unicorn is real). From the moment you arrive, it's doing the most--in the best way: 10' ceilings, gorgeous trim, oversized windows pouring in light, an arched doorway that deserves its own photoshoot, built-ins, and a double-sided fireplace that casually connects the living and dining rooms like it's been hosting dinner parties for nearly a century (because it has). And that front porch? Not just a porch. A sit-for-hours, wave-at-neighbors, lose-track-of-time kind of porch.

It will absolutely sweep you off your feet... but here's the twist: this one makes sense too. Because behind the charm is a home that has been seriously cared for: rewired, re-plumbed, roof replaced, HVAC updated, and structurally inspected--with repairs completed and reviewed by an engineer. This house isn't just pretty--it's prepared to keep showing off for another 100 years.

And then there's the bonus move... A fully finished, heated and cooled detached garage studio (approx. 400 sq ft) ready to be whatever you've been dreaming about: art studio, pottery haven, woodworking shop, home gym, office, guest space, or even an Airbnb income generator (just add plumbing). Yes... all of the above are equally valid life choices. Out back, you'll find a fully fenced, peaceful retreat with room to garden, entertain, or simply do absolutely nothing under the shade of a beautiful magnolia tree. No wrong answers here. And if you're wondering whether the updates are real--they are.

Extensively renovated in 2020 with new plumbing, electrical, fixtures, and panel. Site-finished red oak hardwoods. A second bathroom added. And a kitchen glow-up featuring new solid wood cabinets, under-cabinet lighting, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and a tile backsplash. The ceilings were opened up in the front of the house--goodbye drop ceilings, hello vibes. Additional updates include HVAC (2020), roof (2025), floors refinished (2026), garage studio finished (2026), porch rebuilt (2026), and fresh interior paint throughout. Documentation is ready and waiting--a lot of documentation. The seller is meticulous.

And the location? Watts-Hillandale. One of Durham's most beloved historic neighborhoods--walkable, connected, and full of character. Walk to Duke Hospital, restaurants, parks, and trails... and all the little moments that make a neighborhood feel like home.

So yes--this house will win your heart. But unlike some love stories... this one also checks every practical box.

Nest Realty Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill

03/18/2026

Welcome to 4704 Cumberland Drive, where the coffee is hot, the trails are endless, and the birds outside your window are apparently auditioning for a nature documentary.

This place has 3,400+ square feet, 5 bedrooms, a giant bonus room, and a kitchen big enough for cooking, snacking, storytelling, and that one friend who somehow always ends up leaning on the island.

But let’s talk about the real flex:
🌲 Duke Forest is basically your backyard.

Walk out your door and suddenly you’ve got miles and miles of trails for hiking, running, thinking deep thoughts, or pretending you’re the outdoorsy type.

And the location?
📍 3 miles to Duke
🍩 Minutes to Bojangles, Krispy Kreme, Dunkin, Starbucks
🥞 Cracker Barrel is so close you could practically smell the pancakes.

Inside the house:
• Big open kitchen + living room where everyone ends up hanging out anyway
• A breakfast nook that basically demands coffee refills
• A cozy fireplace for pretending winter is charming
• A bonus room large enough for movies, games, or that home gym phase that lasts three weeks

Outside:
A big backyard, seasonal forest views, and enough birds to make you wonder if someone secretly installed a bird feeder the size of Durham.

Add great neighbors, room for everyone, and quick access to downtown Durham and you’ve got the kind of home where people come over for dinner… and somehow leave four hours later.

🏡 4704 Cumberland Drive
Space. Trails. Snacks nearby.
Honestly…what more do you need?

https://raleighdurham.nestrealty.com/properties/4704-cumberland-drive-durham-nc-us-27705-10153521

Nest Realty Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill

4704 Cumberland Drive fosters connection, celebrates the beauty of nature, and offers room for everyone to spread out and belong. Sitting on a generous .40-acre lot backing up to HOA-owned forest land, it is steps away from miles of Duke Forest trails ...

03/12/2026

Simple, beautiful one-level living in a charming little neighborhood—and buyers fell in love at first sight!

UNDER CONTRACT with MULTIPLE OFFERS after just one weekend of showings! 🎉

Strategic pricing and thoughtful marketing paid off for my seller in a big way. Congratulations!

03/07/2026

OH. MY. GOODNESS. 😍

I am officially in love with this house. Listed by Mariana Byrd with Urban Durham Realty, it checks all the boxes: incredible windows, dreamy natural light, beautiful architecture, thoughtful craftsmanship, and a location (rural Hillsborough) that’s hard to beat.

Listed at $699,000. If you’d like a private tour before everyone else falls in love with it too… let me know!

Beauty and nature as you've never experienced it before. 1009 Starfield offers a peaceful and serene sense of space where you instantly feel at home. Custom built by renowned architect & builder John Hartley in 2006, 1009 Starfield features natural stone, live edge timber and expansive views bringing natural light, warmth and texture to every room. By bringing the beauty of thelandscape's natural materials in, he ensured that the interior and exterior of the home were one. Take in the views of the grassy meadow and the blue birds swooping and nesting in the yard or take a stroll to the stream and trail on the property. Designed for easy living with an open floor plan, both the primary bedroom and second bedroom are on the main floor, as well as the screened in porch, huge deck overlooking the backyard, and the 2-car garage. Keeping green practices in mind, solar power is harnessed from solar panels for daily use as well as stored in a power wall to be used in the event of a grid outage. With 4 acres in a lovely circular neighborhood with a labyrinth (yes, a real labyrinth!), you get the feeling you are away from it all yet you're only minutes from Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, and Durham.

https://raleighdurham.nestrealty.com/home-search/listings/4460752907907296270-1009-Starfield-Circle

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