Thursday, February 25, 2021 

Hello and welcome to BillRakow.Com! As a member of the NVAR Top Producer Club, I am one of Northern Virgina's most successful agents with years of real estate experience. I trust you will find lots of useful information to help you in either buying or selling a home.

I invite you to -

• Search Homes for sale - Thousands of homes for sale throughout the Washington Metro area!
• Check out Area Info - important links local schools, government, transportation and other relocation information!
• Request FREE info - great tips for buying and selling!

A commitment to making your largest purchase should be supported by an experienced real estate professional you can trust. I am dedicated to going the extra mile for my clients. My engineering background, years of experience and many money saving tips make a big difference in the dedicated service you receive.

Finding a Home - A systematic process will save you time and ensure that you don't miss your best home options. Summary lists and pictures of homes meeting your requirements will be provided in a concise format to allow you to peruse many properties easily and quickly. Details will be provided for those homes of interest. You will be regularly appraised of new listings so you won't miss those fleeting opportunities. And you won't be pressured! Useful information rather than a sales pitch is provided so you feel comfortable making your decision.

Contracting and Negotiating - Years of experience and training in contracting and negotiating and a penchant for putting clients interests first have resulted in many fantastic deals for my home buyers. You will be carefully guided through the complex real estate contract and offered numerous ways to protect your interests and save money. You will also be provided with detailed market data to establish the value of the home. Adding a few items to the contract and knowing the ten signs of a motivated seller may save you thousands of dollars.

Financing - My financing knowledge will allow me to assist you to explore options, run tradeoffs and discover lots of ways to save. For example, you can avoid mortgage insurance, even with less than 20% down! With my assistance throughout the process and a really creative loan officer (I will provide a recommended list), you will get competitive rates and timely loan approval with minimal headaches. Low cash, credit issues, affordability, etc. are all welcome challenges.

Home Inspections - As a graduate engineer, I can assist you to identify problems with a home (they all have a few) and the cost to rectify them. I have owned approximately 25 investment properties and have done lots of repairs and remodeling. If you choose me, you will be advised of what to look for in a home inspector and provided a list of inspectors I recommend. I will participate in the home inspection and assist you to contractually resolve any problems. This can become surprisingly complex for the inexperienced. Going up on the roof, into the crawlspace, and in the attic are not the agentís responsibilityÖ unless your agent is Bill Rakow.

Coordinating, Scheduling, and Problem Solving - Because of my program management background and penchant for detail, milestones will be established and monitored for all events leading to the settlement date. I check and recheck each event leaving nothing to chance. You will be kept appraised of progress on a regular basis. If problems arise (there is always something unanticipated), my calm and tenacious approach will ensure a satisfactory solution. I am readily available day or night to all parties through my cell phone, office voice mail (it pages me) or home phone.

You can count on my integrity, knowledge and experience to reach your goals without pressure, while saving time and money... Here's what past clients say:

Some homes sell faster, at a better price and without complications. Why? Because they are priced right, packaged properly and aggressively marketed. I will show you how to dress your house for success, price it to maximize your net proceeds and get more buyers to see it. I will always work for your best interests, as if I owned your house. If you are not satisfied, you can cancel the listing (nobody does). You will receive my absolute honest advice based on years of experience buying and selling homes for myself and my clients.

Pricing - You will be provided with a list of comparable homes in your area that are for sale or have recently sold. After extensive analysis and preview of homes on the market, I will give you my opinion of the most probable sale price for your property. We will then discuss the analysis to ensure your understanding and comfort in establishing the list price. My listings usually sell close to the asking price.

Condition - There are many ways to substantially improve the value of your home with very little cost. I will recommend those improvements that will return many times the cost. I may also be able to suggest contractors who can assist you.

Marketing - Your house will explode onto the market!!! Advertising in The Washington Post and real estate magazines... flyers to agents... post cards to buyer prospects, neighbors and other agents... internet ads... signs... and lots more will get the word out quickly!! Most important, you will receive a written Marketing Plan so you know what to expect. Beware of promises when they are not in writing and there are no samples.

Here a just a few things that will make a difference in your sale:

• Accurate Multiple Listing - Including map location, electronically measured room sizes and an exciting description of your home's best features. I will show you examples of why this is so important.

• Bound Information Brochure - Loaded with useful information about your house, community, schools, area recreation and more. Buyers really appreciate it.

• Internet Marketing - On several sites including my web site and www.realtor.com

• Computer Generated Floor Plan - Buyers love it.

• Agent Feedback - I call, fax or email every agent who visits your home, answer their questions, sell them on your home's features and provide feedback to you. I also keep a record of agents so I can follow up at a later time.

• Information Box - Flyers on heavy stock paper informs buyers passing by of the features of your home without revealing the price. When they call, I sell them on the wonderful value of your home and the neighborhood.

• Distinctive Directional Signs - More buyers will find your house.

• American Flags - Placed at each sign; they are patriotic and distinctive.

• Open House Roses - Buyers remember your house when they receive a flower.

• Direct Phone - Buyers (and you) connect directly to me through my cell phone. I'm easy to reach quickly day or night so you and buyers won't get frustrated.