Cuomos Sad as They Sell Home Where They Reared 5 Children

Gov. Mario M. Cuomo is “moving” from a house he doesn’t live in now to another house, where he also won’t live. And even though he won’t live there, he won’t miss out on one of New York City’s charms--its taxes.

Such are the wonders of official residences, voting residences and tax codes. The bottom line: A residence is not a home.

Cuomo, 55, and his wife, Matilda, 56, are selling a house in the borough of Queens that they’ve owned for almost 30 years; they’re switching their official residence to his mother’s nearby home.

Of course, their actual home is the Executive Mansion in Albany, 160 miles away. The Cuomos have lived there for five years, and plan to stay a few more.

By selling the Queens house after reaching the age of 55, the Cuomos are taking advantage of tax laws that exempt the first $125,000 in profit. If they buy a replacement residence within two years they’ll further reduce their tax liability.

By maintaining a Queens address, the Cuomos will be able to vote there--but they will also have to continue paying New York City income tax.

The Queens house was built for the Cuomos by his father in 1959 and sold to the couple for $28,000. It sold Thursday for $320,000, according to a statement Friday from Cuomo’s office.

The Cuomos expressed sadness about selling the modest two-story wood-frame house where they reared their five children.

“We built our house as we built our family, one piece at a time,” Cuomo said in a statement. “We take with us the warm memories of nearly three decades and leave behind our hope that future owners will find in this house the same magnificent home it has been for our family.”