Donald Trump’s childhood home in Queens has sold for $1.93 million after an extensive renovation transformed the once-neglected property.
The five-bedroom Tudor-style house in Jamaica Estates was bought by an unidentified purchaser in July, with the final price revealed on Friday. The sale represents a substantial return for developer Tommy Lin, who paid $835,000 for the property last year.
Lin spent about $500,000 and eight months gutting and refurbishing the roughly 3,100 sq ft residence, which had been described as a wreck when it was first put on the market.
The makeover gave the house a modernised interior featuring a chef’s kitchen, herringbone wood flooring and spa-style bathrooms. Designers described the new look as “Manhattan modern”.
Trump childhood home transformed after years of neglect
Trump lived at the property, built by his father Fred Trump in 1940, until he was four. The family then moved to a larger house nearby.
In later years, the home became a source of frustration for neighbours. It was reported to have suffered from a leaking roof, flooding, burst pipes, power failures and an overgrown garden, while feral cats were said to have taken over parts of the building.
“It brought down the value of all the homes in the neighbourhood,” said Spencer Gale, who has lived on the block for 25 years.
The property was sold for $1.14 million in 2016 before being transferred the following year to an entity called Trump Birth House LLC for $2.14 million. The identity of the people behind the company remains unclear, although New York lawyer Michael X Tang signed the paperwork.
Under the LLC’s ownership, the house was listed on Airbnb for around five months. Guests were reportedly charged as much as $725 a night, with the property marketed to Trump supporters and described as the place where the president was conceived.
Inside, visitors were greeted by life-sized cardboard cut-outs of Trump, copies of his book The Art of the Deal and a framed People magazine cover featuring him. The property was later put up for auction with an asking price of $2.9 million, but failed to sell.
It subsequently remained abandoned for nearly a decade. Neighbours said a 2018 electrical fault during a heatwave disrupted air-conditioning, television and internet services, while a burst attic pipe in 2020 caused serious water damage and contributed to the spread of hazardous mould.
There was also an alleged attempted break-in in August 2024. Neighbours said security footage showed two men walking around the building and apparently trying to force open the front door after failing to enter through a window.
The home was initially listed again for $2.3 million following Lin’s renovation, then withdrawn and relisted at a lower price. Its final asking price was $1.99 million, leaving the eventual buyer paying $70,000 less.
Joe Zhu of RE/MAX Edge said the property’s association with Trump remained a significant attraction. “There were quite a lot of people interested,” he said.
One neighbour welcomed the renovation, saying: “I am happy it has been taken from the absolutely disgusting conditions. It looked like an abandoned, haunted home.”
