After months of house hunting, Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle are PalmBeach County homeowners.
On Wednesday, the high-profile couplepaid $9.7 million for a waterfront home in Admirals Cove,an exclusivegated community in Jupiter. Thepair first eyedthe north Palm Beach County neighborhood in January, then showed interest in a different home in Palm Beach Gardensbefore recently circling back to Admirals Cove,real estate sources said.
The Trump-Guilfoyle house, at 494 Mariner Drive, is along the Intracoastal Waterway. The two-story houseis11,270 square feet and features six bedrooms and 11 bathrooms, as well as an elevator and a fireplace,according to Palm Beach County property records and real estate listings.
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The newly updated home is decorated in acontemporary style, with white walls, white kitchen cabinetry and neutral tile and wood floors, plus water viewsthroughout the home. Outside, there's a pool, private dock and dock lift.
The seller isSheri Quinn. Quinn, along withher brother, Bruce Quinn, are known for owning theThe Hagerstown Suns, once a minor-league affiliate of the Washington Nationals baseball team.Earlier this month, Bruce Quinn sold a house next door to Trump Jr.'s — at 492 Mariner Drivefor $10 million.
Waterfront Properties' Rob Thomson represented Sheri and Bruce Quinn on theirhome sales. Thomsondeclined to comment on Wednesday.
Both Quinn houses, in fact, were linked to Trump and Guilfoyle in their months-long search for a Palm Beach County house.
Earlier this year, when the 494 Mariner Drivehouse was listed for sale at $9.5 million, it went under contract to a Guilfoyle friend, according to real estate agents who asked not to be identified.
Meanwhile,Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle went under contract to buy Bruce Quinn's 492 Mariner Drive, which was listed for $11 million.
Both deals fell out of contracts in February, and the 494 Mariner Drivehouse went back on themarket, but with a higher askingprice of$10 million.
Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle then switched their focus to Old Palm, zeroing in on a11,654-square-foot houselisted for sale at $6.5 million, according to real estate sources.The house is owned byDavid D. Smith, chairman of broadcast television giant Sinclair BroadcastGroup, public records show.
But after inspections, that deal didn't gothrough, either, and Trump and Guilfoylereturned to the ultra-luxury Admirals Cove community for another look.
Real estate agents say Admirals Cove has a lot to offer for wealthy buyers who want bothprivacy and arange of activities.The largewaterfront community is about 20 miles north of Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach estate where former President Donald Trump lives and hostsa private club.
Admirals Cove has been called home by notables in sports, business and entertainment. Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt has lived there for years. Last year, Washington Nationals baseball playerMax Scherzer and his wife,Erica, paid $9.75 million for a home in the community. Singer Celine Dion used to live in Admirals Cove, too.
The 888-home gated community features a spa, 45 holes of golf, pickleball and tennis courts, a fitness center, two clubhouses, two driving ranges and four restaurants.It also features a marina for mega-yachts and a 30-room hotel atop a clubhouse for guests of members,
Residents who buy a home at Admirals Cove must buy a membership in the club, which costs $195,000 to join.
When word first trickled out in January that Trump, Jr., and Guilfoyle were scouting for a house in Admirals Cove, some residents were alarmed by their notoriety.
About 30 residents contactedPeter Moore,general manager of the property owners association, to raise concerns."About half have concerns about safety," Moore said.
"The others have political concerns with what's happened,"Moore added, referencing the Jan. 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol.
On an email thread sent among residents in January, several residents denounced Trump'smove into their community. One member went further, bringing up accusations ofGuilfoyle's improper behavior while working at Fox News, as well as reports that Trump, Jr., is under criminal investigation in Washington D.C. for incitement of the siege.
One resident described the pair's purchase in the community as "a nightmare."
But club officials pushed back on talk of preventing Trump, Jr., and Guilfoyle from buying in Admirals Cove.
Brett Morris, Admirals Club general manager and chief operating officer, said the community "prides itself on being an inclusive community."
As evidence, Morris said members overwhelmingly voted to become a mandatory membership club, meaningwhen someone buys in Admirals Cove they are automatically approvedfor membership.
"The Club has no say in who buys in Admirals Cove," Morris said. "The Club cannotdisapproveof them for membership."
Several residents this week say theywelcome the couple to the community.
"We have a diverse membership here, and I have no problem with Donald Jr. moving in," said Johnny Gray, a retired race car driverwho owns an Admirals Cove home featuring a25-car garage."And I'll be the first one to have a co*cktail party and welcome them to the neighborhood, as I would for anybody else."
Grayrecently listed his home for sale with Waterfront Propertiesfor awhopping $32.5 million.But Gray said he's notplanning to go far: He said he's building another, smaller house in the community.
Ed Frankel isa retired business executivewho lives down the street from the home just purchased by Trump, Jr., and Guilfoyle.Frankelechoed Gray's remarks, saying several residents are eager to have a reception for the couple.
"We welcome anyone who comes here," Frankel said.
Waterfront's Thomson, who has lived in Admirals Cove for 17 years, said many residents have approached him with welcome letters forTrump, Jr., and Guilfoyle when they heard they were considering the community.Thomson, a member of the Mar-a-Lago club, said he personally delivered the notes to the couple.
The move to Admirals Cove will enable Trump, Jr., to spend more time with his five children from hisex-wife, Vanessa, who lives nearby in the Jupiter Country Club. Guilfoyle also has a teenage son.
Admirals Cove also is near Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter.
Meanwhile, theAdmirals Cove house previously eyed by Trump and Guilfoyle also justsold. Earlier this month,Suzanne Weissof Jupiter Island paid $10 millionfor 492 Mariner Drive, which features 300 feet of waterfront.
