A full time real estate broker since 1972, Jim Nerlin is a Vice President and Broker Associate of Telluride Real Estate Corporation.  He has been consistently recognized as one of the top producing agents both within the company and the region. A member of Telluride Association of Realtors, he was president of the group from 1995 to 1997 and also elected "Realtor of the Year" in both 1996 and 2000. Jim has also been a director for Colorado Association of Realtors as well as currently serving on the boards of both Realtors Land Institute and Telluride Adaptive Sports Program.

When Jim and Peggy first met, she was not a horse person. He grew up on a working ranch near Red Lodge, Montana. She was a city girl from Orange County, California. They made a deal that, if he would learn to play tennis, she would learn to ride horses.  This agreement has worked out well for the last 29 years. He says she's an excellent rider and she sometimes lets him win at tennis.

They keep a couple of registered quarter horses on their 40 acres in Carstens Ranch, 30 minutes from town so they can ride at least once a week for two to eight hours. "We do a lot of high alpine riding into the National Forest", says Peggy, who is currently San Miguel County Clerk and Recorder. Taking clients out on horseback to look at property enables him to get more riding time.  Also, when his three grown children and four grandchildren come to visit, everybody wants to get back in the saddle again as a third generation of riders and outdoor lovers is carrying on the family tradition.  "Riding horses is such a wonderful way to see the high country," says Jim, "above timberline to places you might never have gotten to otherwise."  Jim remains active assisting clients who have purchased ranches from him by helping them with their cattle operation, be it branding in the Spring, moving the cows to the high country or sorting and shipping the calves during the Fall round-up. Although Jim's roping skills are a little rusty he and his horse Bart still manage to drag a few calves to the branding fire.