315 Tollgate Shores Dr. was built in 1986 by Dr & Mrs. Snow of Coral Gables, Florida as their vacation home. Mrs. Snow loved to entertain and told me of the many fabulous parties they used to have there. It was Mrs. Snow who hand carried the bathroom sinks back from Mexico. She also purchased the glazed tile flooring there.

FUN FACT: Although the neighborhood is very informal and first name use is the norm, Mrs. Snow was always called "Mrs. Snow" and never by her first name (which was Bernice).

FUN FACT: The property to the left in the photo (which is now part of the Boy Scouts' Sea Base), was originally a sort of sprawling hotel that apparently was once a "house of ill repute."

Left: This photo was taken shortly after the home was built in 1986.

The picture below was taken in 2011. I added the garage, pavers, pool, screened veranda along with a multitude of other things.

FUN FACT: Mrs. Snow put a real ships' porthole in the master bathroom shower because she never wanted to miss a sunset.

Sadly, by 1998, Dr. Snow had become critically ill with alzheimers. For this reason, Mrs. Snow put her beloved Keys home on the market for the first time which is when I bought the property.

FUN FACT: You can read references to this property in history books about the Florida Keys because at one time, this is where the original highway stopped and you had to take a ferry to go further south. This property was the original ferry boat landing site. This was told to me by Mrs. Snow.

The Current Owner:

I bought the house from Mrs. Snow in 1998. I'm from Northern California and had always wanted to live on the water in a tropical area without leaving the US. I looked at many, many homes from Key Largo to Lower Matecumbe. Nothing felt right. I really didn't like the canals as I didn't like the idea of people across the water looking in and they didn't seem very clean. I've always preferred sunset to sunrise so oceanfronts weren't all that appealing and many had dock/depth issues. The other big problem was that so many homes had illegal downstairs enclosures that would have been very costly to remove. I didn't want to get involved in that and from the horror stories I've heard in recent years, I'm very glad I didn't.

My realtor was about to tear her hair out when we got to the last house on the list - 315 Tollgate Shores Dr. We knew the instant we climbed the back stairs and entered the great room that this was IT. Looking at the rest of the house was really just a formality. This was the location I'd dreamed of. The house itself was just a pleasant surprise. And as a bonus, even the downstairs was legal (and still is)!

So why I am selling???

Just like Mrs. Snow, I have loved this place. I've lived here full time for twelve years at this writing. I learned to fish, to scuba dive and all about tropical gardening. But more recently, I have gotten seriously involved in dog sports - agility to be precise. And because I have herding dogs (border collies), I need land. Alot of land. So it's time to leave the water behind for green pastures and agility fields in the Carolinas.

Fish, Dive & Snorkle Out Your Backdoor...

The house is right next to the Channel 2 and Channel 5 bridges so getting out to the Atlantic is fast and easy. Some of the best dive spots are just minutes away. From shallow reefs for lobstering to the wreck of the Eagle among others, it's all right there. My husband is a dive boat captain and I'm a divemaster so we have spent a great deal of time exploring the area underwater. We've been simply amazed at what we've found so close to home. One time, we saw a rare 20 foot sawfish just a few minutes from here! And we've pulled many a lobster out of Caloosa Rocks which is about 5 minutes from the house. Remind us to leave you a list of our favorite, secret spots!

If fishing is your game, some of the best tarpon and bonefishing fishing in the Keys is literally behind the house. Plenty of great tasting mangrove snapper are out there too. If it's offshore fishing you want, it's right through the bridge.

What I've most enjoyed about this area is that it is off the beaten path for the tourists yet close enough to everything that you need. As you'll discover, each island has it's own flavor. Lower Matecumbe is primarily residential but all the great restaurants of Islamorada, along with numerous other activities are right up the road. I also like that it's not too far for a quick trip to Miami or Key West. I prefer the look and feel of Islamorada as opposed to Key Largo or the keys further south. It's clean, bright, attractive and just plain more appealing.

Toll Gate Shores itself is very laid back. The neighbors are very nice but you probably won't see them very much. It has a live and let live attitude. It does not have a homeowners association, but rather has a park association which is non mandatory. However, the $120 yearly fee (which most neighbors do pay) goes to maintenance of the park in the center of the neighborhood.

FUN FACT: The beautiful coral rock entrance signage was donated by the late Sam Waumpler - founder of Florida Sea Base - and a wonderful neighbor to us. Sam is greatly missed.

For life's little emergencies, you have Caloosa Cove marina and hardware store across the highway. They're open early and late and have everything from a quart of milk to a gas cap for your boat and usually some pretty good gas prices. There is a little restaurant there too with really good food. They also make it to go.

Bayside vs. Oceanside

So often newcomers are misled by the sound of "oceanside" and yes, the Atlantic is absolutely gorgeous. The sad truth is that the Atlantic side often has depth and dockage problems if they are direct ocean front. And all those lovely sunrises you read about are only visible if you make a habit of getting up awfully early to see them. Another issue is the unpleasant topic of hurricanes. The majority of storms that have affected the Keys have come in from the Atlantic. That means that oceanfront homes are far more likely to suffer storm surge damage.

This bay front property has great dockage with plenty of water. And with a location next to the bridge like mine, you can be on the Atlantic in minutes anyway. And while the tourists are driving to Key West to celebrate the sunset, you'll be watching it from your own home. Even better, you'll be awake to see it! And for what it's worth, in all the years I've been here, we've only had one storm out of the West that caused a minor storm surge here (H. Wilma, 2005). No damage was done to this property. The oceanside has been hit numerous times with surge.