You snoozed, you loozed

Ivan Trump’s old place (she unloaded it in 1998 $15 million) at 21 Vista Drive has sold for $31,500,000. It could have been yours for just $29.999 in July ‘23, before its listing expired. This time, Rob Johnson, for the owner, and Joe Barbieri and Leslie McElwreath, buyers, teamed up for a non-MLS sale.

This has been a long time coming: The sellers first tried for $50 million in 2010, raised it to $54 million in 2014 just because they have a sense of humor, and then steadily lowered their price over the ensuing decade until, voila! A savior appeared.

Extensive work was performed during the first couple of years to de-Trump the place: stripping off the gold leaf, removing the painted nudes, and deflocking the master bedroom. All for naught, probably, if brother Gideon’s guess proves accurate, which I think it will: the house will go, its 5.8 acres will remain.