MILTON TOWNSHIP — Caity and Kevin Daus said they have always loved living in the Niles area. So, when a swath of undeveloped land opened up just east of their home in Kestrel Hills, the couple saw an opportunity to develop it and give other families a chance to call the area home, too.

With plans to turn 32 acres of land into lots for Hidden Hills Estates, Caity and Kevin are working toward project approval with Milton Township officials, with the hopes of starting construction for the lots in late August.

“It started because we love this area and we wanted a little bit more land for ourselves,” Caity said. “This land was originally supposed to be phase three of the subdivision we are currently in, but the owners did not want to pursue it.”

A topographical survey of the land is complete, along with the plot design for the subdivision. In addition to awaiting approval, Caity and Kevin are working on creating covenants and restriction guidelines for future homeowners.

If granted approval, Hidden Hills Estates will feature 21 lots for single family homes or site condos. The properties range from 1 to just under 3 acres and will have wooded, lake and walk-out options. Including the cost to purchase the property, the couple is expecting to invest about $1.4 million into developing the land. The development will include excavation of the wooded property, building roads, sewer system, retention pond and a few other features. Roads will be private and maintained by Hidden Hills residents.

The couple said their idea for the project was created out of a need they observed to create more housing opportunities in the Michiana area.

“There really is not anywhere else around here that has this opportunity,” Caity said. “All the land is getting eaten up, so we thought we would try to develop it and offer some more options.”

The land is connected to the Daus’ backyard, which faces east toward Gumwood. Caity said they thought that the location for the development was ideal, given its proximity to local school districts and shopping centers. According to its website, Hidden Hills Estates would be 10 minutes from downtown Niles, five minutes from University Park Mall in Mishawaka and less than 10 minutes to get to either Edwardsburg or Brandywine School districts.

Already, the property plans have generated some interest and at least one property is listed as sold on the website.

“We actually already have some interest, so it’s nice,” Caity said.

Pre-sales are contingent upon the project’s approval with the township. Sale prices for the remaining lots range from $79,500 to $159,000.

Caity and Kevin have some experience in helping people find homes. Before the couple started a family, which now includes their two daughters, 9-month-old Emerson and 4-year-old Rylie, they flipped Michiana houses as a hobby. 

“It’s so nice when people [would] go to buy [a house] and they loved it,” Caity said, “which is how I feel it will be with the land — it is finding their dream piece of property.”

Today, Caity works as recruiter for the University of Notre Dame and Kevin works as a sales manager.

On Wednesday, Caity and Kevin said they were meeting with their engineering firm to get final drawings of the project. If approval is obtained, they said they will move the project forward by tracking down companies to complete the redevelopment work.   

Kevin said he believes they have found the right land to bring their dream into fruition.

“There are no more lots here [in Kestrel Hills] and we really like it and think other people will like it here, too,” Kevin said. “We kind of said, ‘Why not?’”

To learn more about the project and see available lots, visit: hiddenhillsmi.com.