Pope’s Childhood Home Sparks Surge in Chicago Real Estate Market

Real estate values often rise due to factors like location, market conditions, or modern upgrades. However, one unassuming house in Chicago is experiencing a price increase linked to its historic connection as the childhood home of the first American pope—a phenomenon some are calling a 'papal premium.'

Shortly after white smoke signaled the election of the new pope, attention turned to a modest brick house in Dolton, Illinois, located about 30 minutes south of downtown Chicago. The world learned that Pope Leo XIV once lived at 141st Place, triggering a surge in interest.

Steve Budzik, the real estate agent handling the property, reported a flood of offers after initially listing the home at $199,000. The current owner has since taken the house off the market to carefully consider the unexpected influx of bids.

While the exact period when Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost in 1955, lived in the residence remains uncertain, his father owned the property from before his birth until it was sold in 1996, during the time Leo was serving in Peru.