The modest childhood home of Pope Leo XIV is up for grabs, and its owner has hired an auctioneer with links to President Donald Trump to cash in. Paweł Radzik, who bought the Dolton, Illinois property for $66,000 last year to renovate and flip it, was surprised to discover the home’s former resident was Robert Francis Prevost, now the first American pope, according to The New York Times. Steve Budzik, the real estate broker for the property, said he was inundated with offers. To capitalize on the unexpected attention, Radzik hired Paramount Realty, the same real estate auction company that sold Donald Trump’s childhood home in 2017 for $2.14 million—more than twice the average of similar properties in the area. Online bidding is now underway for the papal property and will close on June 18, with expectations that the home could fetch seven figures. “We can call this the pope premium,” said Misha Haghani, Paramount’s chief executive and founder. “Within one week this is going to be the most famous home on the planet.”
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