The Queens childhood home of President Trump has sold for nearly $2 million following a dramatic renovation that turned the once mold-infested, cat-filled property into a polished modern residence.
Trump lived in the Tudor-style house until he was 4 years old. His father, real estate developer Fred Trump, built the home in 1940 in Jamaica Estates, an affluent neighborhood in Queens. The Trump family has not owned the property for years.
The house changed hands for $1.93 million, according to a sale price posted Friday on real estate websites. The buyer, whose identity has not been made public, signed a contract in July.
The seller was developer Tommy Lin, who bought the five-bedroom, three-bathroom residence last year for $835,000 after it had remained vacant and deteriorated over an extended period.
Lin invested an additional $500,000 in an eight-month renovation. The upgrades included a chef’s kitchen, herringbone hardwood floors and spa-inspired bathrooms, the New York Post reported.
Kathy Willens
The property has been sold several times in recent years. Zillow records show it fetched $2.14 million just months after Trump became president in 2017.
At the time, the buyer was an entity named Trump Birth Home LLC. The residence was later briefly listed on Airbnb, where guests found Trump-themed memorabilia, including life-size cardboard cutouts, copies of his book “The Art of the Deal” and a framed People magazine cover featuring him.
The home returned to the market in 2019 with an asking price of $2.9 million. It failed to sell until Lin purchased it and began the latest restoration.
Before that renovation, the property had reportedly fallen into severe disrepair. A burst pipe caused water damage and mold, while a colony of feral cats occupied the house where Trump spent his earliest childhood years, according to the Post.
Now 80, Trump built his fortune in real estate, including through Manhattan’s namesake Trump Tower, where he lived for decades. He later used his celebrity and wealth as a springboard into politics.
During his presidency, Trump has also pursued a major residential renovation of his own, with plans for a massive ballroom at the White House and an Oval Office decorated with gold-toned fixtures that reflect the style associated with his properties.
