Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home in Dolton, Illinois, is up for auction, with the price for the piece of papal history starting at $250,000.
The modest 1,050-square-foot home in the southern suburb outside Chicago was listed for $219,000 initially in January, and agent Steve Budzik of iCandy Realty cut the price by another $19,000 in February as the home lingered on the market. He had no idea about the home’s significance until Cardinal Robert Prevost was selected as Pope Leo XIV on May 8.
Budzik told Homes.com News that he received up to eight offers by the end of that day, and with the seller's permission, took the listing down to evaluate the best course of action. That decision came on Thursday, with the home’s auction listed with Paramount Realty USA. Bidding is now open and closes June 18 at 4 p.m. Central Time.
“Since the value of the home is so subjective, we have no idea what this is worth,” said Misha Haghani, CEO of Paramount, in an interview. “An auction is absolutely the best, most appropriate format for selling it for the same reason why art, jewelry, collectibles and other types of assets with subjective value are sold by auction.”
Bidders will not see bids submitted in the sealed auction. All bidders must submit proof of funds with the bid, but Haghani said they can be any type of funds, not just cash. Paramount will receive a 10% buyer’s fee added to the bid.
Budzik said the seller decided to auction the home just four days ago, and they inquired with Paramount, known for auctioning President Donald Trump’s childhood home three times. The first time, the $950,000-valued home sold for $1.4 million, said Haghani.
No bids have come in yet for the pope's former house, but Haghani and Budzik predicted that will change soon. The starting bid is fairly arbitrary, given its subjective value, but also priced to be approachable, said Haghani.
“It has nothing to do with how many bedrooms it has or what the conditions of the interiors is or what appliances the current owner-investor put into the home, it’s purely about what that person would pay to own the childhood home of the holiest man on Earth. That’s it. And what that is is totally a big question mark,” he said.
According to public records, the Prevost family owned the three-bedroom, three-bathroom brick house from 1949 through 1996. The pope, born in 1955, and his two brothers grew up in the home, attending nearby schools and churches that would start his pious journey that would lead to the Vatican.
Previously, the agent told Homes.com News that the seller planned to inquire with the Prevost family, specifically a brother living in nearby New Lenox, Illinois, and potentially the village of Dolton, though that did not happen.
“I’m pretty confident he’s still in Rome,” said Budzik of the pope’s brother, noting that timing was important to the seller. “If the church wants it, it’s no secret that it’s for sale and it’s not at a crazy price. … It’s open to everybody. Anybody and everybody can bid.”
Tourist spot, potential landmark
The home became an overnight tourist attraction, much to the delight of Dolton officials, said Trustee Brittney Norwood, who added she would personally like to see it play a role in the community.
The area had seen negative headlines in recent years, with misconduct allegations surrounding former Mayor Tiffany Henyard. Dolton swore in a new mayor, Jason House, just days before the pope was selected.
“It was super exciting,” said Norwood about hearing the news of the pope and his home. “We’ve been speaking with the neighbors on the block, and they were super excited also. It’s a new chapter in Dolton with the new administration, but now it’s like a breath of fresh air for the residents.”
The town was not made aware of the home being listed for auction, a representative confirmed with Homes.com News. Budzik said the auction evens the playing field, making a decision easier for the seller, a real estate investor who flipped the home.
“If the village wants it, but somebody else wants it, what’s right or what’s wrong is a hard decision to make,” said Budzik. “I feel that this gives everybody a chance at making a bid and paying what they can pay.”
The home is eligible to be landmarked because of its association with the pope, according to the Illinois Historic Preservation Office, which accepts proposals for historic sites to be entered into the National Register of Historic Places.
The process can take between nine and 12 months, said Andrew Heckenkamp, survey and national register coordinator at the preservation office. The state agency would review the pope’s history, accomplishments, and changes to the home. The interior was remodeled by the seller.
“We’re just evaluating this based on his significance and if this is the house and the only one there is, it could probably take on more change to it, especially on the interior, because of its association,” said Heckenkamp.
Still, these options remain for the winning bidder, said Budzik.