Born and educated in the United Kingdom, John spent the early part of his working life in the construction industry. As a contractor in the Gunite/Shotcrete field, John worked on contracts across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, including the Channel Tunnel, the National Soccer Stadium renovation and many more. His work also took him to most European countries and several countries in the Middle East, including Kuwait and South Yemen.

Sponsored by a California Gunite company, John emigrated to California in 1989 and quickly attained a green card and became a US Citizen in 1999. He still holds a valid contractor's license in the state of California.

Soon after moving into the real estate industry, in 1994 Los Angeles was rocked by the biggest earthquake in record to hit Southern Californa. A background in construction proved useful. The city soon recovered and was quickly restored to its vibrant self.

Married in 1991, John and his wife enjoyed the Southern California lifestyle. With the arrival of their first child in 2000 and then the second in 2002, priorities changed and it became apparent that LA was not the place of choice to raise a family. After much research and soul searching, the family relocated to North Carolina in 2005 and now lives in the Preston sub-division of Cary.