About Crawford County, AR

I have been MIA for a few months....  but I`mmmmmmmm baaaaack!

I want to start by saying a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all of you wonderful people that supported my trek to Realtor-dom! I did it... I got the licesnse. Then I got that taste of reality.

I am a single mom and had no source of income at the time. To think I could make a living selling Real Estate right out of the gate was a pipe dream. I had no back up plan!

I ended up having to get a real JOB.

But the story is really just now getting started!!!

I found a job working in wireless phone sales that I really love. I really like the company I work for and have a bright future with them in Management. I am currently the Store manager for Russell Cellular in Van Buren, Ar.

But it doesnt fullfill my longing for freedom.

I want to fly like an Eagle...

The only way to be totally free is do what you love and find a way to turn your passion into a paycheck. To work once and get paid over and over. To help others find their passion and help them achieve their goals and get paid on their efforts as well.

I hope those of you who followed my journey to becoming a Realtor will now follow me on my one way trip to FREEDOM!

Now you may be asking yourself what does any of this have to do with Active Rain - Real Estate - or you. Well if you will continue to stay tuned in.... I will be sharing with you the tips and tricks I have learned over the years to create successful client lists with the compaines I sold for in the past. I will share ideas on how you can set yourself apart from the crowd and turn your clients in lifelong friends who will refer new clients to you for a lifetime. I will show how an age old technique put touse can transform your relationships and your paycheck.

If that sounds like something of interest to you.... stay tuned in!

This is going to be fun!

I love using The "Talking House" on my listings. It is like I am at the house 24 hours a day!!! I think it is a great marketing technique. Does anyone else in the Van Buren/Ft Smith are use them? Just curious.

List a house a with me and get my Talking House for Free!!!!

Let me introduce you to Van Buren`s Best kept Secret..... Cajun`s Back Door Resturant.

While in Real Estate School, a bunch of us women decided to to go to this little restaurant in Van Buren. It is  owned by the Father of Amy Gilstrap~Craft, the Instructor of the Arkansas Real Estate Academy where I attended school.

I had actually heard about Cajun`s Back Door from another friend and was told to give it try, but just had not gotten around to going. It is located in Downtown Historic Van Buren, Arkansas.

I ordered my staple sandwich that I tend to order when eating a sandwich.

Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich
Chicken Breast grilled with Sensational Seasonings, served on a split Top Hearth grilled bun with lettuce, tomato and mayo.

I have to say it was the BEST Grilled Chicken I have ever eaten!

It was seasoned Cajun Style which gave it a little zing. And their french fries were amazing! One of the other ladies ordered a

Muffuletta
A New Orleans Treat created by the Italians in the early 1900's. This signature sandwich consists of a round crusty Italian bread, split and filled with layers of sliced Provolone cheese, Genoa Salami, sliced Turkey, and Cappicola Ham, topped with Olive salad, lettuce, tomatoes and a pickle spear on the side.

It looked simply delicious!!

You can visit their website to view the entire menu and get the directions and hours of operation.

The restaurant was very nicely decorated and felt very comfortable. There were a couple of pictures hung that I felt were out of place but that was just the opinion of a few of us there. The color scheme was appropriate and they had little alligators all around, even outside in the courtyard. It was very cute. They even have a little Mardi Gras themed gift shop in the front of the restaurant!

One of the women we were with was related to the owners and I sensed that she knew the waitress pretty well. The service was a bit laid back, I attribute that to the relationship. I will have to revisit to see if the service would have been better if the customers were different. It wasn't bad service by any means, it was just average.

The price was a bit high but after receiving the food, I felt it was worth it. The sandwich was absolutely delicious! Even the dill pickle that came with it was wonderful!

I am not a food connoisseur by any means but I have been in the Restaurant business and know what makes for a great meal, atmosphere and customer service.

On a scale of 1 to 5, I would rate Cajun`s Back Door in those areas as follows:

Food Quality: 5

Atmosphere: 4

Customer Service: 3.5 (not bad but could have been better)

So, if you are in the Van Buren area, I recommend Cajun`s Back Door Restaurant for your dining pleasure! Tell them you read about them on my blog!

Have a happy dining experience!

Susan