It's not too late to bid on Pope Leo XIV's childhood home
It's not too late to bid on Pope Leo XIV's childhood home, where the drama surrounding its sale is heating up.
Paramount Realty USA, an agency participating in the sale of the Illinois home, extended the deadline from June 18 to July 17. A spokesperson said the extension would give potential bidders enough time to review the information, tour the property, and make submissions. The reserve price, meaning the lowest price the seller will accept, is $250,000.
While the three-bedroom, three-bathroom home in Dolton appears somewhat ordinary, it gained national attention in May after Pope Leo XIV became the leader of the Catholic Church.
The current owner purchased the home in May 2024 for $66,000, then put it on the market for $219,000 this January. They dropped the asking price to $199,900 in February, but still hadn't secured a buyer when the Catholic Church announced Pope Leo XIV's appointment.
The revelation left the owner in shock.
"It's better than winning the lotto," Steve Budzik, a real estate agent working with the home's owner, told Business Insider. "We were both very surprised and honored. It was a lot of emotions."
Budzik added they'd received "steady interest" about the home before the announcement, but the excitement caused by the first American pope prompted fanfare.
"It's like a collectible car they only made one of," Budzik said.
Inundated with new offers, the owner decided to de-list the home that month while weighing his options. Ultimately, they decided to sell the house via auction through Paramount Realty USA.
However, potential buyers will likely face off against the Village of Dolton, which has expressed interest in buying the home.
Burton S. Odelson, an attorney for the village, told Business Insider the local government plans to acquire the home through direct purchase or eminent domain laws. Eminent domain laws let governments make private property available for public use.
"If a direct purchase from the seller cannot be negotiated, the Village will cause Eminent Domain proceedings to be filed in Court and take the property through the legal process," Burton S. Odelson wrote in an email to BI. "The Village hopes a direct purchase is completed without court action."
Odelson said the Village of Dolton has been in contact with the Chicago Archdiocese to decide how to use the space.
The Village of Dolton's quest to purchase the home is facing pushback, though. A former Village of Dolton employee has filed a motion to block the motion, according to ABC 7. The outlet said the former employee cited potential misuse of taxpayer funds and financial mismanagement.
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