Judge Judy Scheindlin and her husband Jerry recently bought an iconic home in Newport, Rhode Island just steps from the ocean. Why did Judge Judy buy it? Her husband said, “Property’s a good investment.” She said, “Please, it’s wanderlust. I just wanted it.”
The 9,700 square foot home, named the “Bird House” by its former deceased owner Dorrance “Dodo” Hamilton, an heiress to Campbell Soup, was built in 1921 and sits atop one of the highest spots in Newport. It has a soaring two-story entrance hall and a living room with floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace. An elevator connects the two floors.
Hamilton, the previous owner, was the founder of Newport’s annual slower show and, of course, the property boasts the “Famous Blue Gardens” with monochromatic purple and blue flowering plants.
Needless to say, the ocean views from every vantage point are spectacular. There are 3.5 acres of forestry surrounding the property. A guesthouse, carriage house and guardhouse are dispersed among the forestry.
Judge Judy, age 76, came to her now famous arbitration-based reality court show when it premiered in 1998 after being a reputedly “tough” family court judge. The show has won 3 Emmy awards consecutively from 2015 and is contracted to run through the 2020-2021 season.
In her spare time, (Judge Judy works five days/month and earns over $1M/day), Judy and Jerry Scheindlin have accumulated an enviable portfolio of real estate properties. Among those properties are a penthouse in Naples, Italy worth $13M, family friendly mansion in Naples, Italy worth $10.8M, a New York Upper East Side 4-bedroom duplex worth $10.7M in Sutton Place, a Beverly Hills pied-a-terre at the Montage Beverly Hills Hotel worth $12M and a “primary” 9-bedroom mansion in Greenwich, CT worth $16.7M. (All of these valuations per homes.nine.com)
