Don Harms has been a licensed REALTOR® for over 40 years and is the founder and lead agent of Twain Harte Homes & Land at Real Broker, a second-generation family brokerage serving Twain Harte, Mi Wuk Village, Pinecrest, Soulsbyville, Tuolumne, and Sonora. He founded the brokerage in 2007 after already building a long career in real estate, and over four decades in the business has successfully negotiated and closed more than 300 transactions. Pinecrest and the broader Central Sierra "high country" hold a special place in his career — he's worked extensively in the area for decades and is widely regarded as one of the most knowledgeable agents on Pinecrest and high country real estate. His broader experience spans over 40 years of change across the local market, from land and lot sales to family homes and move-up properties, giving him a firsthand view most agents in the area simply don't have.

Don works with clients on every side of a transaction: establishing a home's value, listing and selling, relocating to the area, searching for a new home, and securing financing. True to the brokerage's name, his experience covers both home sales and land transactions throughout Tuolumne County — a combination that requires familiarity with everything from well and septic systems to USFS leasehold properties, particularly common in Pinecrest, to lake community memberships unique to the area.

Outside of real estate, Don's greatest passion is his family — his wife of nearly 60 years, his children and grandchildren, and the local community they've built together. He's also an avid fly fisherman, often found standing in a trout stream with a fly rod in his hand. His daughter, Melissa Vallelunga, carries the family tradition forward as a REALTOR® with Twain Harte Homes & Land, making the brokerage a true second-generation, family-run operation. That deep connection to Twain Harte — as home, not just a place of business — shapes how Don works with clients today. 

I grew up here -  Not "moved here ten years ago and fell in love with the mountains" here — actually grew up here, spent summers at our family cabin on Pinecrest Lake, and never really left.

That matters when you're buying or selling in Tuolumne County. This isn't a market I learned from a course. I know which neighborhoods flood in spring, which roads get dicey in winter, and which properties have a story worth knowing before you make an offer.

Before real estate, I spent 25 years in nursing — which means I show up organized, I communicate clearly, and I don't rattle under pressure. Those habits didn't go away when I got my license.

I'm a second-generation REALTOR® and Senior Partner at Twain Harte Homes & Land at Real Broker, with dozens of transactions closed across Twain Harte, Pinecrest, Mi Wuk Village, Sonora, and the Tuolumne County Foothills. I specialize in primary homes, second homes, STR investment properties, and Pinecrest leasehold cabins.

Recognized as a FastExpert Top Agent with verified reviews on Google, Zillow, and Realtor.com.