Serosun Farms to build luxury homes in rural, equestrian setting

Equestrian communities, where people who own, ride and train horses can enjoy their sport and socialize with others who enjoy it, too, have been around since farms began disappearing and horses were replaced by automobiles for everyday travel.

The most known such community around here is West suburban Wayne, home of the world-famous Lamplight Equestrian Center show facility and the Dunham Woods Riding Club, a private equestrian country club located in a small historic inn.

That tiny village of 2,407 people is committed to preserving its equestrian nature and reputation, allowing anyone with sufficient land to have a horse barn, and it is even the home of one of only two active fox hunt groups left in the Chicago area. The Wayne-DuPage Hunt Pony Club has been re-enacting traditional English fox hunts since the 1920s. But take note that today's hunters use “drag bags” containing fox scents. No foxes are actually used in hunts anymore.

The other such hunt held in the Chicago area, the Mill Creek Hunt, takes place in far North suburban Wadsworth, another equestrian community of note. Hunt Club Farms is a 681-acre community in nearby unincorporated Lake County that was developed during the 1980s to appeal to horse lovers.

Hunt Club Farms has the 124-stall Fields and Fences Equestrian Center within its borders. Residents may board, ride and train their horses at the center and participate in horse shows. Or, if they have 4.5 acres or more, they may build a barn to stable their horses privately. But no matter where they choose to house their horses, all residents have access to 10 miles of fenced equestrian trails and acres of open riding areas. They may also use Fields and Fences' two indoor riding arenas.

And now horse-lovers have yet another option if they are looking for a community where there is a readily available equestrian center and a system of bridle trails. Serosun Farms is being developed in Hampshire and its high-end training facility for sport horses and jumpers is already open and busy, according to Jane Stickland, owner, who has been involved with showing and training horses since the 1970s.

While Serosun Farms will have a strong equestrian component, it has actually been designed to solve the problem of disappearing agricultural land and to appeal to anyone who has always wanted to live on a farm or who is committed to living in an organic community, Stickland said.

Once complete, the 410-acre Serosun Farms will feature a 160-acre working, sustainable farm and apple orchard, which will supply fresh produce, flowers, farm-raised meat and other specialty items to an on-site farmers market. There will also be 300 acres of open countryside with eight miles of trails for riding, cross-country skiing, walking and golf carts. Finally, it will feature the equestrian center, fishing ponds, a wildlife habitat, sports facilities, a playground and a community center with swimming pool, game room and event facilities.

Homes will be built on 1-acre lots by John DeWald & Associates, the developer of Serosun Farms, and anyone who wishes to have a horse on-site will need to board it at the 40-stall equestrian center. No individual barns will be permitted.

“We have people looking here who have their own barns now and they no longer want the cost and labor to maintain it,” Stickland said. “Plus, having a number of small barns is not a good use of land from a sustainable perspective. You have all of the questions of maintenance and getting rid of the manure, which we have already addressed with our barn.”

When all is said and done, Stickland said the builder expects only about 25 percent of its buyers will bring horses with them or purchase them after they arrive. Yet, both adults and children are expected to take advantage of the riding trails and lessons, which will be offered.

Interestingly, real estate agents who sell in Hunt Club Farms near Wadsworth and in the village of Wayne said many residents of these areas, too, don't ride or own horses. They simply like the “acreage, privacy, beauty and peace” of more rural surroundings, said Lynn Purcell of Baird & Warner in Wayne. And many feel like living among horse people is like stepping back in time, she added.

Richard Capoccioni of RE/MAX Center in Grayslake, the top-selling Realtor for Hunt Club Farms, lives there himself and said 80 percent of his neighbors don't own horses. They just like to look at them and they like the fact that their children can take lessons at the equestrian center if they are interested.

Others maintain elaborate barns and even private indoor arenas, he said. And there is every possibility in between represented, as well.

“People who live in an equestrian community are looking for a certain lifestyle. And there is no doubt about it: places like Hunt Club Farms are very popular,” Capoccioni said. “The only question now is: Can you afford it?”

Prices in Hunt Club Farms and other equestrian communities have certainly dropped with the rest of the economy and they are generally sitting on the market much longer than they once did, Capoccioni admits. But owners who don't have to sell, aren't listing homes either.

So, only four or five properties are currently listed, at prices ranging from $485,000 to $1.3 million. And the properties that are selling are the heavily discounted ones that are in the midst of a short sale or foreclosure. There have been three such instances in Hunt Club Farms over the last few years, he said.

Compare that to the larger market, where his office's listings are now 70 percent short sales and foreclosures. The higher price range homes have not yet been hit as hard by dire financial difficulties, Capoccioni said.

Wayne horse properties have also felt the pinch of the market, Purcell said. In 2005-2006, she said, 27 homes with land that could accommodate horses sold in the town. An additional five empty lots that could accommodate a house and barn also sold. By 2008-2009, that number of sold properties had dropped to only four. During 2010, only two such properties found buyers.

Horse-capable properties currently listed in Wayne primarily range in price from $449,000 to $2.5 million, she said. There is one property, however, which is listed for $9.5 million and some listings have languished on the market for up to two years, Purcell said.

Stickland and her partners feel that the less-exclusive atmosphere of Serosun Farms and the fact that it will also appeal to eco-conscious people who want to live in a sustainable, organic community and to those who have always wanted to live on a farm without doing all of the work involved, will help them weather the recession better than most.

Homes built in Serosun will be required to go through a certification process to prove they are 80 percent more energy-efficient than a traditional home and use 50 percent less water.

Even the barn will soon be LEED-certified and it already has an advanced ventilation system and an innovative composting program for the manure, which is used on site as fertilizer.

“Serosun Farms will be so much more than an equestrian community,” Stickland said. “But it will also be absolutely ideal for those who do want to ride and have their horse nearby.”