Get in Touch with Cydni! Cydni Potter, Buyer Specialist Cydni spent most of her life in Chicago before moving to Nevada briefly post high school. Wanting to be closer to family, Cydni found her way back to Illinois and primarily worked in the service industry before exploring a career in real estate. Cydni was looking for financial freedom and a flexible schedule and when she sat down with Bryson, back in 2020. She knew right away that she had found her home on the Bryson Smith Team. Cydni’s skillset is broad and she utilized it daily in her comprehensive role of Director of First Impressio ..read more

Life often takes unexpected turns, and sometimes unforeseen events can lead us to list our homes for sale during the holiday season. Maybe you’ve decided to downsize, a career shift is moving you to a different city, or simply you long to embrace a warmer climate like Miami, FL, or San Diego, CA. Whatever the reason, you’re ready to sell.  Believe it or not, the holiday season can be a great time to sell your home. While it’s true that the housing market typically heats up during the spring, the holidays are often overlooked as a prime time to sell. Why? First of all, there is ..read more

A dining room chandelier — the crown jewel of your home — convinced potential buyers to write an offer because they fell in love with it. Hey, wait a minute! You’re only selling the house, not the chandelier, and don’t want to leave your treasured heirloom behind. But, if it’s considered a fixture when selling a house, the buyer could be correct in thinking your gem should glisten over their future family dinners. We have done extensive research and interviewed top real estate agents Deana Corrigan from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and Colleen Toner from Lynn, Massachusetts ..read more

All rental properties, both houses and apartments, offer unique characteristics. Apartments are usually smaller and located in bustling neighborhoods, while houses are typically more tranquil and in relaxed communities. Either could make the perfect home for renters, depending on their needs. So, if you’re in the process of finding your next home, you might be wondering which option makes the most sense for you. Below, we break down the pros and cons of each option, as well as how to make your next rental search easier. Renting a house vs. renting an apartment: The main difference There are m ..read more

There’s no midwestern holiday experience more authentic than bracing the chill of winter to pick the perfect pine, spruce or fir. Not to mention, nothing says “happy holidays” more than the natural evergreen scent filling your home throughout the season. Greater Peoria offers plenty of spots ranging from muddy and rustic BYOS (bring your own saw) farms to elaborate, Instagram-worthy holiday backdrops with homemade cookies and hot chocolate. No matter what holiday movie you envision yourself in this season, you’ll enjoy holiday cheer and beautiful scenery while finding your perfect holiday tre ..read more

Chilly winter weather means you’re likely spending lots of time indoors, and we hope you’re staying cozy (perhaps by your wood-burning stove). But once you shake off that long winter’s nap, you might want to tackle a few projects around the house. While it could be tough to get excited about adding chores to your to-do list, these aren’t the same tedious tasks you’ve been avoiding since last summer. Each project on this list is not only incredibly doable—but pretty darn satisfying, too. So, here are six of our favorite cold-weather DIY projects that will upgrade your home’s look and feel ..read more

Successfully buying a home hinges on a bunch of numbers, from home prices to mortgage rates. And there’s a lesser-known figure that can make all the difference when realizing your homeownership dreams: your FICO score. Whenever you want to make a big purchase, like a home, the lender will pull your FICO score, a three-digit number that represents your creditworthiness and is akin to a financial compass in the housing market. This number ranges from 300 to 850 and determines whether you’re approved for a loan, your interest rate, and your mortgage terms. What is a FICO credit score (and w ..read more

This time every year, homeowners who are planning to move have a decision to make: sell now or wait until after the holidays? Some sellers with homes already on the market may even remove their listing until the new year. But the truth is, many buyers want to purchase a home for the holidays, and your house might be just what they’re looking for. As an article from Fortune Builders explains: “ . . . while a majority of people take a step back from the real estate market during the holiday months, you may find when the temperature drops, your potential for a great real est ..read more

Whether you’re searching for a home to rent in your current town or in another state, it can be tempting to snap up an appealing property before taking time to do your research. This is particularly true if you’re on a tight deadline to find a place, making it even more important to be on the lookout for potential fraud. A rental scam is a well-known tool for identity theft, and victims can lose thousands of dollars paying fees to false entities. Anyone can fall victim to a rental scam — many of the perpetrators are sophisticated and convincing.  Here are five questions to ask yourself t ..read more

Student loans are undoubtedly a daunting financial obstacle, so it’s only natural to feel like they’re holding you back from owning a home. But buying a house with student loan debt is possible. Whether or not you should get a mortgage with student loans will depend on the amount of debt you have and what your personal financial situation looks like, including factors like your income, savings and credit score. Steven Park and Kathy Argento, mortgage loan officers with Zillow Home Loans, both say owning a home while paying off student loan debt is far more common than many might thi ..read more