The humble suburban Chicago home where newly elected Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost, spent his childhood has now become one of the hottest properties in the country.
About That Home
Earlier this month, the small brick house in Dolton, Illinois, was listed for $245,957. But that all changed on May 8, when the Catholic Church elected Prevost as the first pope from North America. The listing vanished overnight — and offers began pouring in.
“[The real-estate agent] called me and said, ‘Hey, the pope used to live in your house.’ I’m like, ‘Stop joking,’” Pawel Radzik, a property flipper who was ready to unload the home for around $200,000 before realizing it’s now a gold mine, told The New York Post.
Since the pope’s election on May 8, Radzik has received at least nine offers, many over asking price. “Realtor Steve Budzik “I’m going to keep it for now,” Radzik said. “I’m excited. … I’m lucky to have it.”
His real estate agent, Steve Budzik, told The Post, “It’s like a winning lottery ticket.”
The 1,200-square-foot, five-bedroom, two-bathroom house was built in the mid-20th century. It was purchased by the Prevost family in 1949 with a $42 monthly mortgage. Despite years of wear — including a stint being occupied by drug dealers, according to neighbors — Radzik recently rehabbed the home, gutting everything except the original walls.
Now, Radzik is weighing whether to relist the home at a higher price, convert it into a museum, or work with local officials to designate it as a historical landmark. “We’re evaluating all the options,” Budzik added.
Born in 1955 on Chicago’s South Side, Pope Leo XIV grew up in Dolton with his two brothers. He attended elementary school at St. Mary of the Assumption in nearby Riverdale. His brother, John Prevost, told NBC Chicago, “I think it was just a normal childhood.”
But the future of the pope’s modest childhood home is anything but ordinary now. For the time being, Radzik has decided to hold off on selling. “It’s not just a house anymore,” he said.
