This former Marine retired after 24 years as a Special Agent with the U. S. Secret Service and partnered with his wife, Gaye, in her real estate career in Northern Virginia. The couple returned to Florida in 2007 and reside less than two miles from where John grew up on Clearwater Beach. When John was seven years old, his dad retired as Business Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, loaded the family into the car, and headed for Vero Beach, Florida, then home of the Dodgers spring training camp. They stopped to see friends in Clearwater Beach and fell in love with the place so they stayed. Within a few years, Jack and Doris Collins built the Sands Point Motel at the corner of Coronado and Hamden which still stands today. Sands Point was the family’s home, and those beautiful, untouched Gulf beaches became John’s backyard. Following graduation from Clearwater High School, John had spent 3 semesters at St. Pete Jr. College when he enlisted in the Marine Corps. One year later, he found himself in the jungles of Viet Nam. John returned to U.S. soil and had made the decision to go back to college when he re-connected with a good friend from high school who was attending the University of Mississippi. This friend assured John it was a great school, there was no shortage of beautiful women, and they had a new quarterback by the name of Archie Manning. John headed to Oxford where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from Ole Miss. He subsequently enrolled at Florida State University where he received his MBA. John had an interest in law enforcement, much to the surprise of his former high school classmates, and was fortunate to be hired in Tampa as a Special Agent of the U.S. Secret Service. He spent the next 24 years traveling the world, protecting six current and former Presidents, as well as a number of Presidential candidates and foreign heads of state. The stories he can tell… Following his retirement from the USSS in 1999, John went back to school … real estate school… to join his wife in her established career, and their partnership turned out to be an overwhelming success! Their clients appreciate the interaction between the two as well as the perspective each brings to the decision making process. John’s attention to detail, his understanding of finances and investments, and his outgoing personality are well suited to his second career. He instills confidence and trust in all who meet him, and he is always willing to go the extra mile for his family, his friends, and his clients. John and Gaye are delighted to be part of the Coastal Properties Group International family of professionals, and they would greatly appreciate the opportunity to talk with you about your future real estate plans!