Lisa Ellis - Real Estate by Design

Name: Lisa Ellis - Real Estate by Design
Address: 5003 Southpark Drive, Suite 110, Durham, NC, 27713, US
Telephone: (919) 606-1754
Price range: $$

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Durham, NC
Lisa Ellis - Real Estate by Design

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Your Personal Key to the Triangle. that gives Lisa’s clients the advantage of something money can’t buy- her wisdom.

Serving Durham and the Triangle since 1996 with expert guidance for buyers and sellers. 30 years of local market knowledge, trusted advice, and professional representation through every step of your move. From Lisa’s first sacarry �restaurants, have given her a worldview adept at welcoming residents from all over the planet and making them feel at home here in North Carolina. Like her favorite Einstein quote, “not to be a success, but Ellis’s priorities are all substance, and a genuine passion for people as the keys to her success in keeping clients happy and coming back. See whEllis and her team at Real Estate by Design can do for you and thank your

10/29/2026

Weekly Home Maintenance:
Secure Your Wi-Fi & Passwords

Your home Wi-Fi network is the front door to every phone, laptop, and smart device in your house, and most people never change the settings it came with. I always tell people: you lock your front door every night, and your home network and online accounts deserve that same kind of attention.

Here’s what I look for:

Router admin login – Change the default username and password used to manage your router, which is often printed right on the label. Anyone who knows the default could get into your router’s settings.

Wi-Fi password & encryption – Use a long, unique Wi-Fi password, and make sure your router is set to WPA3 security, or WPA2 if WPA3 isn’t available. Older settings like WEP are easy to break.

Router updates – Check your router’s app or settings page for firmware updates, and turn on automatic updates if it offers them. If your router is old enough that the manufacturer no longer releases updates, it’s time to replace it.

Guest network – Set up a separate guest network for visitors and smart devices like doorbells and speakers. That keeps them apart from the computers and phones where your personal information lives.

Password manager – Set up a password manager for the whole family, so every account gets its own strong, unique password and nobody is reusing the same one everywhere. Turn on two-factor sign-in for important accounts like email and banking while you’re at it.

A few minutes of setup now protects your family’s personal information, finances, and privacy, and makes it a lot harder for one stolen password to unlock everything else.

Just a heads up, if you’re working through a bigger to-do list around the house, or just want a second set of eyes on your home, call, text or write. Happy to help.

🔑 Your Personal Key to the Triangle

10/29/2026

Durham has changed a lot since I started in real estate here in 1996, and it's still changing. But growth doesn't look the same in every neighborhood, and what's happening citywide may not be what's happening on your street.
In this week's RealGuide, I walk through how jobs and new construction shape buyer demand, why a new project nearby doesn't automatically raise values, how growth differs across Durham's neighborhoods, and what that means if you're thinking about selling.

Read the full guide at LisaEllis.com/RealGuide.
🔑 Your Personal Key to the Triangle

10/28/2026

Explore Durham:
Jean’s By The Sea
617 Hicks Street
Durham, NC 27705

Jean’s By The Sea brings the North Carolina coast to Old West Durham, in the A-frame on Hicks Street that many of us knew for 32 years as Wimpy’s Grill. Owner Kate Elia spent about two decades in the w**e business, including four years as general manager of W**e Authorities, before opening this casual seafood shack this past spring. She named it for her mother, Jean, and built it as a place where nobody has to get fancy to eat well.

Inside, six booths and a counter sit among vintage signs, fishing poles, and a four-foot flounder mural by the door. The menu runs from calabash-style fried shrimp baskets with hush puppies to raw N.C. oysters, peel-and-eat shrimp, and a crispy cod sandwich with Appalachian hoop cheese.

Out back, a patio seats more than 100 under a pergola and shade trees. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the backyard bar, The Barj, serves buckets of b**r, slushies, and cocktails, so it’s an easy spot to gather a crowd.

Tue–Sat 11 AM–9 PM · Sun 11 AM–3 PM

🔑 Your Personal Key to the Triangle

10/28/2026

Just Sold
459 S Greensboro Street, Carrboro, NC 27510

Congratulations to my buyers on closing on their beautiful new home in Carrboro!

Built in 2014, this well-maintained 2,575-square-foot home offers four bedrooms plus a versatile bonus room, three full baths and 9-foot ceilings throughout. Hardwood floors run through the main living areas, anchored by a gas-log fireplace, and fresh interior paint gives every room a crisp feel. A covered front porch adds curb appeal, and a three-season porch extends the living space outdoors. Out back, the home overlooks expansive community green space, a rare and peaceful backdrop this close to town. A patio with a fire pit area, a fenced raised garden bed and a two-car garage round it out. It’s all moments from downtown Carrboro’s shops, restaurants and Farmers’ Market.

If you’re looking to buy or sell in Carrboro or anywhere across the Triangle, I’d love to help. Call, text, or write.

🔑 Your Personal Key to the Triangle

10/27/2026

“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.” – Mary Shelley

Fear and power aren’t opposites, they’re often the same decision looked at from two sides. Every buyer and seller I work with feels a flicker of doubt before they commit, and almost without exception, the ones who move forward anyway end up exactly where they wanted to be. I’ve spent thirty years walking Durham families through that exact moment, so if a decision has you a little spooked this season, call, text or write. I’m happy to help you feel fearless about it too.

🔑 Your Personal Key to the Triangle

10/27/2026

Just Sold
3215 Alsey Place, Durham, NC 27707

Sharon Carter is celebrating with her sellers on the sale of this move-in ready home at 3215 Alsey Place!

Perfectly positioned at the end of a cul-de-sac in an HOA-free neighborhood, this well-maintained home offers a first-floor primary bedroom with an updated bath and walk-in shower. Hardwood floors run through the open kitchen and living areas. The range, refrigerator, water heater and HVAC system have all been replaced within the last five years. Brand-new patio doors lead to a deck and a private, maintenance-free backyard. Behind-the-scenes updates include PEX plumbing, new crawlspace insulation and v***r barrier, and a new garage door and opener. It’s centrally located with easy access to downtown, RTP, Duke and RDU. Local favorites like Eastcut Sandwich Bar, Succotash and Whisk & Rye are close by.

If you’re looking to buy or sell in Durham or anywhere across the Triangle, reach out to Sharon Carter, she’d love to help. Call, text, or write.

🔑 Your Personal Key to the Triangle

10/26/2026

Just a heads up: Orange County's median price dropped almost 15% in September, and it's not the story you'd think.

For months the median ran way ahead of what homes were actually worth per square foot. This month it simply came back to earth at $493,000. Price per square foot is still up 3.2% from last year, so values are holding.

The real news is supply. There are 540 homes for sale in Orange right now, up 39% from last year and the most since 2018. Buyers are closing more homes than a year ago, but they have choices, and sellers are getting 97.5% of list price on average.

If you're thinking about selling, this is a market where preparation makes the difference. Call me before you start the process.

Full breakdown at LisaEllis.com/OrangeUpdate.

🔑 Your Personal Key to the Triangle

10/26/2026

Just Sold
3311 Alex Drive, Hillsborough, NC 27278

Congratulations to my sellers on the sale of their home in Charles Woods!

Set on over an acre of wooded land just off scenic St. Mary’s Road, this home offers a peaceful hilltop setting with a long gravel driveway that creates a welcoming sense of arrival. Recent updates include a new roof, fresh interior paint, refinished hardwood floors, new carpet and luxury vinyl plank flooring. A covered front porch leads into a vaulted great room with a fireplace, alongside a formal dining room and a kitchen with a center island and breakfast nook. Upstairs are three comfortable bedrooms. Two spacious decks, one off the great room and one off the breakfast area, overlook the wooded surroundings, and a finished two-car garage adds storage. With HOA dues of just $60 a year, lower Orange County taxes and Eno River State Park nearby, it’s quiet country living just minutes from Hillsborough, Durham and Chapel Hill.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling in Hillsborough or anywhere across the Triangle, I’d love to help. Call, text, or write.

🔑 Your Personal Key to the Triangle

10/24/2026

Retirement can change what you need from your home, but it doesn't have to change where you live. For some, it's finally time to enjoy the home they've built. For others, it's a chance to find one that fits the next chapter better.

In this week's RealGuide, I walk through when staying put makes the most sense, when a move could open up more of the retirement you want, why the right move isn't always a smaller one, and why Durham and the Triangle are such wonderful places to stay engaged, active, and connected.

Read the full guide at LisaEllis.com/RealGuide.

🔑 Your Personal Key to the Triangle

10/23/2026

Looking for a different kind of Halloween scare? 🦇 This Sunday at 7PM, Duke Chapel screens F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent classic Nosferatu, with celebrated organist Joshua Stafford performing live on the Chapel’s Aeolian organ.

Stafford, a First Prize winner of the Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition, brings a real passion for silent film music, and there’s nothing quite like watching Count Orlok creep across the screen while that organ fills the Chapel. It’s a one-of-a-kind way to welcome Halloween right here in Durham.

Tickets are free but required, so reserve yours through the Duke Box Office at tickets.duke.edu.

Full weekend guide: LisaEllis.com/WeekendGuide

🔑 Your Personal Key to the Triangle

Address

5003 Southpark Drive, Suite 110
Durham, NC
27713

Telephone

(919) 606-1754

Website

http://www.lisaellis.com/

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