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While there is plenty of housing inventory on the market and most buyers are looking to negotiate a bargain, there is still plenty you can do as a seller to get a reasonably quick sale at the maximum possible price.

"Your goal as a seller is to have your home seen by as many potential buyers as you can," said Realtor Pam Berry of Seven Gables Realty in Anaheim Hills, Calif. "That means listing with a local broker who knows your market and makes the best use of technology to reach people who are looking."

Beyond that, Berry offers six tips for making the most of a slow market:

1. Reduce deposit requirements. Sellers always want the largest possible deposit, but if a buyer has been pre-approved for a loan, a smaller deposit requirement may help to cement their commitment to the deal.
2. Throw in a few things. You probably don't want to move that swing set anyway. Offer it as an incentive to a potential buyer with children. Other items to consider throwing in include the washer, dryer, furniture items, or that lamp the buyer seems to love.
3. Visit open houses. Open houses are a great way to view the competition and get ideas for improving your chances of getting your home sold. Would it help you to put a decorative fan over the dining room table or offer to paint the exterior of the house in a color of the buyer's choice?
4. Be sure photos are up to date. Does your Realtor's website show a photo of your home in July with three feet of snow on the lawn? Be sure photos show your home to advantage and are changed to match the season.
5. Know what you really want. You know your property will sell at some price point, but think in terms of price and terms. In a slow market it may be better to pay a "seller contribution" to help buyers offset closing costs than to lower the sale price. The seller contribution may be smaller than a price reduction, but more attractive to buyers who need cash to close.
6. Stay on top of the market. It's not enough to know that two homes in your area recently sold for $400,000. If one owner gave the buyer a 3% credit for a new roof, that would be $12,000 off the top, or a real sale price of $388,000.

Copyright 2010 RISMedia, The Leader in Real Estate Information Services, All Rights Reserved. This material may not be republished without permission from RISMedia.

Despite a slow market and a slight decrease in the resale value of most remodeling projects, Realtors report that the smartest home improvement investments may also be some of the least expensive. Results from the 2009 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report show that small-scale exterior projects are the most profitable at resale, according to estimates by Realtors who completed a recent survey.

On a national level, eight out of the top 10 projects in terms of costs recouped were exterior replacement projects that cost less than $14,000. Certain types of door and siding replacements, as well as wood deck additions all returned more than 80% of project costs upon resale. A steel entry door replacement-a new addition to this year's list-recouped 128.9% of costs, followed by upscale fiber-cement sliding replacements at 83.6%. Wood deck additions recouped 80.6% of costs.

"Once again, this year's Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report highlights the importance of a home's first impression," said NAR President Vicki Cox Golder, owner of Vicki L. Cox & Associates in Tucson, Ariz. "With exterior projects returning a high percent of project costs upon resale, Realtors can help give your home curb appeal while adding value to the real estate transaction.

The 2009 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report compares construction costs with resale values for 33 midrange and upscale remodeling projects comprising additions, remodels and replacements in 80 markets across the country. Data are grouped in nine U.S. regions, following the divisions established by the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the 12th consecutive year that the report, which is produced by Hanley Wood, LLC, was completed in cooperation with Realtor Magazine, as Realtors provided their insight into local markets and buyer home preferences within those markets.

On a national level, the project with the biggest improvement from 2008 was the attic bedroom addition, recouping 83.1% of remodeling costs compared to 73.8% in 2008. The only other interior project that landed in the top 10 was a minor kitchen remodel with 78.3% costs recouped.

Other exterior projects in the top 10 include midrange vinyl and upscale foam-backed vinyl sliding replacements, which returned more than 79% of costs. In addition, several types of window replacements-midrange wood, midrange vinyl, and upscale vinyl-all returned more than 76% of costs upon sale.

Similar to last year's report, the least profitable remodeling projects in terms of resale value were home office remodels and sunroom additions, returning only 48.1% and 50.7% of project costs.

Regionally, cities in the Pacific states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington once again outperformed the rest of the nation in terms of remodeling costs recouped upon resale. The West South Central region of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; the East South Central region of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee; and the South Atlantic region of the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia also performed relatively well.

The regions that generally returned the lowest percentage of costs were New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont), East North Central (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin), West North Central (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota), and the Middle Atlantic (New York and Pennsylvania).

Golder commented that remodeling projects are just one of many factors that contribute to a home's overall resale value. "As the first, best source for real estate information, Realtors are experts in providing insight into what projects and investments will make a difference in your house. It's important to consult with a Realtor who can explain the variety of factors that affect a home's value, such as location, condition of surrounding properties and the regional economic climate," she said.

For more information, visit www.realtor.org.

Copyright? 2010 RISMedia, The Leader in Real Estate Information Services, All Rights Reserved. This material may not be republished without permission from RISMedia.