What $395,000 Buys You in Illinois: Pike County Farmstead

Located in Pleasant Hill, a rural village about 80 miles southwest of Springfield, this 55-acre spread is anchored by a 1930s clapboard farmhouse with three bedrooms, two baths, and a covered wraparound porch.

Recent improvements to the 2,116-square-foot residence include a new furnace, roof, and HVAC system, as well as a detached 40′ by 100′ garage. Among the other outbuildings: two barns, a lean-to shed, and a storm cellar for storing root vegetables. There’s also a small Civil War–era cemetery on the grounds.

The Provenance

After nearly 40 years here, the current owners are looking to downsize. They maintain 30-plus acres in timber and keep two horses on 10 acres of wire-fenced pasture—land that could easily be converted for crops. The couple also earns $2,500 annually by granting hunters access to the farm during deer and turkey season, from October 1 to January 15.

Thirteen acres, planted with native grasses as part of the USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program, cannot be put into production until 2022. Meanwhile, though, the program pays for the privilege, to the tune of approximately $1,400 a year, more than enough to cover the property taxes.