Latest news with #SteveBudzik
New York Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
The Pope Grew Up in This House. Now, It Could Be Yours.
The childhood home of the first American pope will be sold to the highest bidder in an online auction in June, a new marketing strategy for a three-bedroom house that was originally listed for $199,000. The current owner of the humble house in Dolton, Ill., switched gears last week when he realized he had hit a real estate jackpot. As Pope Leo XIV was introduced to the world, the owner learned that the new pontiff, who grew up as Robert Francis Prevost, spent at least some of his childhood in the brick Cape Cod-style house on 141st Place, about 30 minutes south of downtown Chicago. Offers began pouring in almost immediately, said Steve Budzik, the real estate broker for the property. He had fielded only a handful of offers in recent months. Mr. Budzik and the owner, Paweł Radzik, 36, quickly pulled the house off the market as the two figured out what to do next. Mr. Budzik said it felt impossible to set a price for the home now that they knew its unique history. So they turned to Paramount Realty, a real estate auction firm that had held an auction in 2017 for another unassuming house: a five-bedroom Tudor in Queens where Donald Trump lived until age 4. It sold for $2.14 million, more than double the average of comparable houses in the area. Paramount has begun collecting bids for the property in Dolton on behalf of Mr. Radzik, who purchased the home a year ago with a plan to renovate and flip it. The online auction will be held on June 18. 'It's no longer a traditional sale. You're not selling real estate, you're selling much more than that,' Mr. Budzik said. Offering the property at auction, he said, would allow prospective buyers from around the world to make a bid on a piece of papal history, including nontraditional buyers who might seek to turn the home into a museum or a landmark. 'This is the best chance for selling it for top dollar and also getting the most amount of exposure,' he said. Misha Haghani, the chief executive and founder of Paramount, said a famous former resident can bring in big bucks. The auction of Mr. Trump's childhood home was held just days before his first inauguration. Though the house later fell into disrepair and sold earlier this year for just $835,000, it still made history at the 2017 auction. Mr. Haghani referred to the $2.14 million sale as the 'Trump bump.' Property records show that Mr. Radzik, a professional home rehabber, bought the house in Dolton for $66,000. The interest in its history is sure to drive up the price, Mr. Haghani said, anticipating that the house could sell for seven figures. 'We can call this the pope premium,' he said. 'Within one week this is going to be the most famous home on the planet. What the highest and best bid will be, or who it will be from, is anyone's guess.'
News.com.au
13-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Make a larger profit': Pope Leo's childhood home is for sale
This house of God is a total real-estate blessing! The owner of Pope Leo XIV's childhood home in the suburbs of Chicago yanked the humble abode off the market overnight with potential plans to jack up the price — after learning the Catholic Church's new world leader once lived there, The New York Post reports. The eyes of the world were fixated on the Sistine Chapel on May 8, when white smoke began billowing from its chimney, indicating that a new pope had been selected on the second day of the historic religious process. Soon after, Chicago-born cardinal Robert Francis Prevost stepped out onto the Vatican balcony, his first appearance as the newly appointed Pope Leo XIV. Focus quickly turned to the small three-bedroom, three-bathroom abode in which the Prevost family spent many years during his childhood, with property records revealing that the dwelling had actually been listed for sale in January with an asking price of $219,000 ($A343,800). '[The real-estate agent] called me and said, 'Hey, the pope used to live in your house.' I'm like, 'Stop joking,' ' said Pawel Radzik, a property flipper who was ready to unload the home for around $200,000 before realising it's now a gold mine. 'I'm going to keep it for now,' Radzik said. 'I'm excited. … I'm lucky to have it.' His Realtor, Steve Budzik, told The New York Post, 'It's like a winning lottery ticket. 'What are the chances?' After learning of the pad's now-famous roots late Thursday, Radzik is increasing the price before putting it back on the market or even potentially turning it into a museum or another historic landmark. The property, which is listed under an LLC, offers 111.5 sqm of living space and has a humble exterior surrounded by lush greenery. Inside, there is an open floor plan that accentuates the main living area and cozy fireplace. The average-sized kitchen comes complete with a marble countertop and ample cabinet space. On Thursday — after the world learned Chicago native Robert Prevost was named the first American pope — Radzik received four offers on the five-bedroom, two-bathroom house. Radzik, who moved from Poland in 2006, said he was at a doctor's appointment with his pregnant wife when his Realtor called with the jaw-dropping news of his property's provenance. The homeowner — a father of two who was quick to note he and his wife will not be calling their soon-to-be-born third child, a boy, Leo — said the house had been essentially gutted for resale. The only thing still original are the walls,'' he said. 'Everything else was replaced.' Previous residents of the home were known for bringing trouble to the block by dealing drugs from it, neighbours told The New York Post. '[There was] drug-trafficking. Then it stopped. Then another family moved in, and there was a lot of violence,' said next-door neighbour Donna Sagna-Davis, adding she often felt 'harassed.' 'We prayed and prayed,' she said, adding news of the pope's pad could help the area. 'This is going to make it even better.' Sagna-Davis wants the home to become 'a special landmark for our community, for people to come here and pray.' The modest-looking abode — which the pope's family bought in 1949, paying a $US42 monthly mortgage — had previously been on the market for more than 100 days. 'It was listed for 200 [thousand dollars], but there is no way he's going to sell it for 200 with all the value it has now,' Budzik said. 'I'm sure people have a similar idea to make it for tours.' However, US residents were quick to slam the opportunistic owner, calling him out for his 'greed'. 'This kind of price gouging should be illegal. Just because a house has historical or celebrity value doesn't justify inflating the price to outrageous levels,' said Mario. 'Personally I'd avoid it like the plague,' said Arabella. 'Ah yes, good old fashioned American Greed never goes out of style,' said Whodat. Radzik, who was seen Friday cleaning up the house as a throng of media flocked to the property, said renovators painted floors and added bedrooms to the house. 'It's been quite interesting the last 24 hours,'' Budzik added. 'Just with all the activity and people are making offers and calling and wanting to see it.'
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘A better chance at winning the lottery': Chicago-area man discovers he owns Pope Leo's childhood home
This week, Chicago-area realtor Steve Budzik received an 'unbelievable' phone call from a reporter about a property he was selling. That reporter called Budzik to ask about a quaint home in Dolton, Illinois, half an hour from downtown Chicago. A home, Budzik said, that Pope Leo XIV grew up in. 'When the first reporter called me with the news…I was, at first, taken aback,' Budzik told The Independent on Saturday afternoon. 'I didn't see it on any news channel, so I was almost like, 'is this a joke?'' But it wasn't a joke. The 1300-square-foot, Cape-Cod-style brick house on a tree-lined street is indeed the first American Pope's childhood home. 'I immediately called my client, who said the same thing: 'Are you joking? Come on, stop messing around,'' Budzik recounted. 'I'm like, 'No, this is real.'' 'We were both equally super taken aback,' he added. 'You have a better chance at winning the lottery than having this opportunity come to you. We were both shocked and just really blown away.' Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected Thursday night as the 267th pontiff, following four rounds of voting during the conclave. The 69-year-old was born in Chicago and graduated from Villanova University, a private Catholic school in Pennsylvania. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home last sold in May 2024 for $66,000, It's unclear exactly when Pope Leo lived in the home, but his family owned it from the year he was born until 1996, when he was 41 and working as a missionary in Peru. Budzik's client, who is a real estate investor and has never lived in the home, took it off the market Thursday. 'He just wants to really look at all of his different options, including trying to get in contact with Pope Leo's brother, who is local to where both of us live in New Lenox, and seeing if there's anything that you know the family would like to see done with the property,' Budzik said of his client. Pope Leo's brother John Prevost lives in New Lenox, Illinois, just 30 minutes away from his childhood home. He said he couldn't believe it when his brother was announced as the new leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide. 'I was in this moment of disbelief that this cannot be possible because it's too far from what we thought would happen," he told NBC News. Now, the home's owner is faced with a difficult choice, but he's weighing a few options. 'Should it be a museum, should it be a historical landmark?' Should it just be resold? What are the options, and what does everybody really want to see done with this house?' Budzik said. 'We're just really excited and embracing it,' Budzik added.
The Independent
10-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
‘A better chance at winning the lottery': Chicago-area man discovers he owns Pope Leo's childhood home
This week, Chicago-area realtor Steve Budzik received an 'unbelievable' phone call from a reporter about a property he was selling. That reporter called Budzik to ask about a quaint home in Dolton, Illinois, half an hour from downtown Chicago. A home, Budzik said, that Pope Leo XIV grew up in. 'When the first reporter called me with the news…I was, at first, taken aback,' Budzik told The Independent on Saturday afternoon. 'I didn't see it on any news channel, so I was almost like, 'is this a joke?'' But it wasn't a joke. The 1300-square-foot, Cape-Cod-style brick house on a tree-lined street is indeed the first American Pope's childhood home. 'I immediately called my client, who said the same thing: 'Are you joking? Come on, stop messing around,'' Budzik recounted. 'I'm like, 'No, this is real.'' 'We were both equally super taken aback,' he added. 'You have a better chance at winning the lottery than having this opportunity come to you. We were both shocked and just really blown away.' Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected Thursday night as the 267th pontiff, following four rounds of voting during the conclave. The 69-year-old was born in Chicago and graduated from Villanova University, a private Catholic school in Pennsylvania. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home last sold in May 2024 for $66,000, It's unclear exactly when Pope Leo lived in the home, but his family owned it from the year he was born until 1996, when he was 41 and working as a missionary in Peru. Budzik's client, who is a real estate investor and has never lived in the home, took it off the market Thursday. 'He just wants to really look at all of his different options, including trying to get in contact with Pope Leo's brother, who is local to where both of us live in New Lenox, and seeing if there's anything that you know the family would like to see done with the property,' Budzik said of his client. Pope Leo's brother John Prevost lives in New Lenox, Illinois, just 30 minutes away from his childhood home. He said he couldn't believe it when his brother was announced as the new leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide. 'I was in this moment of disbelief that this cannot be possible because it's too far from what we thought would happen," he told NBC News. Now, the home's owner is faced with a difficult choice, but he's weighing a few options. 'Should it be a museum, should it be a historical landmark?' Should it just be resold? What are the options, and what does everybody really want to see done with this house?' Budzik said. 'We're just really excited and embracing it,' Budzik added.
New York Times
09-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Leo Lived Here: The Price Goes Up for the Pope's Childhood Home
Real estate prices jump for a lot of reasons: location, the market, even a shiny new kitchen. But one humble house in Chicago could have sticker shock thanks to being the childhood home of the first American pope. Call it a papal price bump. Moments after white smoke emerged from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel to signal the selection of a new pope, the price on a modest brick house in Dolton, Ill., 30 minutes south of downtown Chicago, went up. How much is still to be decided, but the world discovered that Pope Leo XIV once lived in the humble house on 141st Place. Offers began flooding in to Steve Budzik, a real estate broker who had fielded a handful of offers in recent months for the house that he originally listed for $199,000. The owner has pulled it off the market as the two evaluate the potential windfall, he said. It's unclear exactly when Pope Leo XIV, who was then Robert Prevost, lived in the home, but his father owned it from before Leo's birth in 1955 until selling it in 1996, when Leo was working in Peru. Mr. Budzik said he was thrilled by the swell in interest. 'I'm doing great,' Mr. Budzik said when he answered the phone. 'It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be the broker to represent the seller who owns the pope's childhood home.' He said he found out that the house was connected to Leo when a reporter called him on Thursday, and that he thought it was a joke at first. Then, they got eight or nine offers for the home in rapid succession, some offering above the asking price. The seller, he said, told him to pull the house off the market so that they can learn more about Leo's time there, including what room he slept in and what the interior looked like before it was renovated. They are considering returning the home to the original floor plan, Mr. Budzik said. He said he hoped to get the input of Leo's older brother, who lives nearby. Mr. Budzik said he had sold homes ranging from $77,000 to $1.25 million, but that now there was no comparison to working with this property. 'I'm honored,' he said. 'Wow, this is amazing. This is exciting.' Even without its famous former resident in Vatican City, the three-bedroom, two-bath house is set could draw a tidy profit for the current owner: The home was purchased for just $66,000 in 2024, according to property records. The average home price in Dolton, a community of about 20,000 people just south of Chicago, is $150,000, according to data from Celebrity connections alone can't guarantee the value of a house. Sometimes, homes with famous former residents see price swings in both directions. The Tudor-style house in Queens, where President Trump spent the first four years of his life, was purchased in 2014 by a cash buyer for $2.14 million. But it then fell into disrepair, and in March, was sold for just $835,000.
