For Your Horse, of Course

By Mark Loehrke
Appears in the February 2023 issue.

A little slice of equestrian paradise in Batavia

The 6,800-square-foot house itself was almost an afterthought when the current owners bought this more-than-19-acre property at 2S704 Nelson Lake Road out of foreclosure about a decade ago. Not only was the Batavia home in a state of disrepair, but it was hard to draw attention away from the adjacent equestrian facility—complete with sprawling pastures, an indoor arena, and 20 custom stalls (as well as a contracted horse dressage trainer)—not to mention the views of nearby Nelson Lake and surrounding forest preserves.

But the property is now on the market again, listing for $2.85 million, and there have been plenty of upgrades to the home over the last year 10 years, from the finished basement to the fully remodeled kitchen complete with high-end appliances and custom cabinetry, as well as the back deck overlooking the lushly landscaped grounds. Even so, listing agent Judy Joss of Re/Max Excels believes the most obvious draw of this property continues to be the setting—a quiet pastoral oasis just minutes from the hustle and bustle of suburbia. “You’re so close to everything, but when you go down the long drive to the property you feel like you’ve been transported to a completely different world,” she says.

Photos courtesy of Cari Zeigel