Neil Collins

Chief Executive Officer, Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS

Real Estate Columnist

Column contributed fourth Thursday of every month

Neil Collins is the CEO of the Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS®.

Born and raised in Santa Clara County, Neil graduated from San Jose State with a degree in Business Administration and Management. He has an extensive background in customer service going all the way back to the early 1990s where he was the General Manager and Buyer for Mel Cotton’s Sporting Goods.

He has also been a small business owner and entrepreneur, opening up Trailsloggers in Downtown Campbell in 2005. Shortly thereafter, he became the President of the Downtown Campbell Business Association and helped launch First Fridays, Art Walks, Wine Walks, Big Bands & BBQ and a whole host of Downtown centric events that played a large part in improving Downtown Campbell’s vitality.

In 2010, Neil took over as the CEO of the Campbell Chamber of Commerce and became the CEO of the Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS® in 2013.

Columns

A laptop on a table showing a credit score

October 24, 2024October 24, 2024by Neil Collins

Collins: How can home buyers prepare themselves to get the best rates?

With the news of interest rate cuts and dropping mortgage rates, there is a renewed interest in home purchasing. However, it is still an incredibly competitive market, so you need to be prepared. I asked Michael Gordon, broker and co-owner of E3 Realty & Loans, what a potential buyer should do to ensure they have...

Columns

September 26, 2024September 24, 2024by Neil Collins

Collins: Why Proposition 33 is bad for housing

Proposition 33 attempts to repeal the bipartisan Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act enacted in 1995. The three key provisions of Costa-Hawkins were to stop the expansion of rent control to single-family homes, allow housing providers the opportunity to charge market rates when a tenant leaves and prohibit the imposition of rent control on buildings constructed after...

Columns

A percentage sign and a house standing on two stacks of coins

August 22, 2024August 22, 2024by Neil Collins

Collins: What do lower mortgage rates mean for buyers?

Mortgage rates for a conventional 30-year mortgage have dropped to the mid-6% range this month after topping out in May at more than 7.5%. Depending on a buyer’s credit score and downpayment, they may be able to buy down points to get an even lower rate. It appears this downward trend could continue. According to...

More news