President Trump’s childhood home in Queens has sold for nearly $2 million after a renovation turned the Tudor-style estate from a mold-ridden cat den back into a livable house.
The sale of the five-bedroom, three-bathroom house in Jamaica Estates reached a total of $1.93 million. The identity of the purchaser remains undisclosed, even though the transaction showed up online Friday following a July agreement.
The residence was occupied by Trump until he reached 4 years old. It was constructed by his father, developer Fred Trump, back in 1940. Ownership of the property has since passed from the family.
The Seller’s Overhaul
Last year, Tommy Lin, who works as a developer, purchased the property for $835,000, a price he paid after it had sat empty and ignored for years. He followed that up with an eight-month interior renovation that cost him $500,000.
A house that had badly deteriorated was restored with a chef’s kitchen, herringbone wood floors and spa-like bathrooms, according to the New York Post. The improvements turned the property back into something habitable.
What Happened Before Lin Bought It
The home has traded hands several times in recent years. In 2017, shortly after Trump became president, the property sold for $2.14 million to an entity called Trump Birth Home LLC.
The person who bought the property put it up for rent on Airbnb, and the listing came with copies of a life-sized cardboard cutout of Trump, copies of his book “The Art of the Deal,” and a framed People magazine cover featuring him.
The property was listed again in 2019 with an asking price of $2.9 million but went unsold until Lin bought it.
The Neglect Between Sales
While the story was unfolding, the house deteriorated, according to the Post’s report. A burst pipe caused water damage and mold to grow, and a colony of feral cats moved into the place where Trump spent his earliest years.
“The Art of the Deal”
Lin entered a dwelling that had fallen into ruin, a mere echo of what it had once been.
Trump’s Rise in Real Estate
He built a fortune through real estate, erecting Trump Tower in Manhattan and residing in it for years, which then supplied the foundation for his political career once he had turned his name into a brand and his money into influence.
Now, at 80, he is overseeing his own residential overhaul: adding a massive ballroom to the White House and adorning the Oval Office with the kinds of gold-plated fixtures that are a hallmark of his properties and aesthetic.
A Developer’s Profit
Lin bought a home plagued by mold and overrun with cats for $835,000, then sold it again for close to $2 million. The profit was substantial.
The tale grows odder yet. An earlier occupant of the dwelling put it out for hire to visitors, placing a cardboard likeness of the president beside it.
The auction demonstrates the journey of an artifact tied to Trump’s history, moving from ruin to restoration before reaching its final buyer.
See the video the story is built around at Cbsnews.
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