The barn and the shop
Room for the tractor, the tools and the projects.
Acreage · Horse property · Homesteads · The Flatlands, Indiana
Homesteads & acreage in The Flatlands
You worked a lifetime for this. Let's find the ground that holds it. Start with what you want the land to do, and I'll check the zoning, the septic, the well, the soil and the flood map for the exact parcel before you sign.
Start with the land you want
Four kinds of country property
5 to 20 acres
Small homesteads
A house, a barn and a few acres, often the piece a family keeps or sells first when a farm is split.
10 acres and up
Acreage estates
A long drive, woods or open ground, and outbuildings, with nobody in sight.
Pasture, barn, arena
Horse property
Pasture, stalls and room to ride, close enough to town for feed and a large-animal vet.
Two or more home sites
Room for more than one home
Land with room for two or three homes, a shared drive and space for three generations on one property.
I help you look wherever you choose in The Flatlands and across Northwest Indiana. Zoning, septic and split rules differ by county, so every check is done for the exact parcel.
5 to 20 acres
Small homesteads
A house, a barn and a few acres, often the piece a family keeps or sells first when a farm is split.
Start with what you want
A garden and a few animals
Ground that drains, and fencing that holds.
Quiet
A country road, and the nearest neighbor a field away.
What I check on the parcel
- Septic. A home that isn't on sewer runs on its own septic system, and the county health department issues the permit before any part is installed. I pull what the county has on file for the parcel. Source
- Well. Indiana DNR keeps records on more than 400,000 water wells. I look up the well log for the property: depth, date and who drilled it. Source
10 acres and up
Acreage estates
A long drive, woods or open ground, and outbuildings, with nobody in sight.
Start with what you want
A long drive
Set back from the road, with room to turn a trailer.
Woods or open ground
Hunting, trails, a pond, or simply space.
Outbuildings
A pole barn, a shop, a place for the equipment.
What I check on the parcel
- Soil. The USDA Web Soil Survey maps the soil on any parcel. It tells me how the ground drains and what it suits, from a septic field to a pasture. Source
- Flood zone. I pull the FEMA flood map and Indiana DNR's best-available flood layer for the parcel. A mapped flood zone can mean flood insurance on a mortgage. Source
- Farm programs. If part of the land is in the Conservation Reserve Program, the new owner must take on the contract within 60 days or it ends, and the seller can owe back payments. I ask for the contract before you write an offer. Source
- Leases and easements. Farm leases, pipelines and wind or solar leases can ride with the land. I read the title work for what is recorded against the parcel.
Pasture, barn, arena
Horse property
Pasture, stalls and room to ride, close enough to town for feed and a large-animal vet.
Start with what you want
Pasture
Enough acres for the horses you have and the ones you want.
Barn and stalls
Hay storage, a tack room, water and power.
Arena and fencing
A place to ride and fencing that keeps them in.
What I check on the parcel
- Zoning for livestock. Zoning decides where animals can be kept. In unincorporated Lake County, the Plan Commission handles zoning, variances and subdivision approvals; the other counties have their own. I confirm the parcel's zoning before you plan the barn. Source
- Well capacity. Horses drink a lot of water. I check the well log on file with Indiana DNR and recommend a flow test. Source
- Drainage. Wet pasture is hard on hooves. I check the soil map for how the ground drains. Source
- Size limits. Indiana treats 500 or more horses kept in confinement as a confined feeding operation that needs state approval. Most horse properties are far below that, but it is the line. Source
Two or more home sites
Room for more than one home
Land with room for two or three homes, a shared drive and space for three generations on one property.
Start with what you want
Two or three home sites
Separate homes, one property, one gate.
A shared drive
One way in, with room for everyone's vehicles.
Space between
Close enough to walk over, far enough for privacy.
What I check on the parcel
- A second home on one parcel. County zoning decides whether a second dwelling is allowed and how big a lot has to be to split one off. In unincorporated Lake County that's the Plan Commission; the other counties have their own. I check the parcel's zoning and the split rules first. Source
- Septic for each home. Each home off sewer needs its own permitted system, so the soil has to support more than one field. The county health department issues the permit before installation. Source
- Soil for more than one field. I check the soil map for room for a second septic field. Source
- Survey and plat. A split needs a survey and, depending on the county, a plat approval. I line up the surveyor and the county before you commit, and we put who pays for what in writing. Source
Before you fall for a lot
Send me the parcel or your list. I'll check the zoning, septic, well and flood map.
School districts in The Flatlands follow townships, not mailing addresses or town names. Send a lot number, subdivision or street and I'll reply the same day with the district, water and sewer, and what's for sale near it.
Douglas Willems · Broker · Flatland Real Estate LLC · licensed Indiana real estate brokerage
More of The Flatlands
Lake homes · New homes in The Flatlands · Selling land or a farm
Search homes and land for sale in The Flatlands, live from the MLS
Updated as listings change. Opens in a new tab.
Searches open the Northwest Indiana REALTORS® Association MLS through its Internet Data Exchange (IDX) program. Listings held by other brokerages show the listing broker's name. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Search provided by Flatland Real Estate LLC, Douglas Willems, Broker, (219) 440-2828.