With Hurricane Irma’s first anniversary looming, we can’t help ourselves but to remember the devastation Ocean Reef and the Florida Keys experienced with Irma’s impact on September 10^th. Irma was the fifth-costliest tropical cyclone on record at $64.76 billion. Those with adequate insurance coverage for their damages were truly blessed.

Recently, we were lucky enough to meet with Meg Dieppa and Cheryl Lyons of MARSH here at Watson Luxury Properties to freshen up on our insurance IQ. Apparently, we can’t navigate the world of insurance without professional help, and we aren’t afraid to admit it! We do notice that many home buyers here at Ocean Reef typically call up their insurance brokers in other states to add their new piece of paradise to their existing policy or bundle. Which we always thought to be very efficient. However, I’m sure you knew this already, Florida is a wacky state (in more ways than just insurance), which is why we now recommend to our clients to give MARSH a call and request a free review of all your policies from this state’s experts. Plus, MARSH, now recognized as the largest broker in the world, is also a member of our Ocean Reef Chamber of Commerce!

The most noteworthy information we got out of the whole meeting, was that they are salaried employees. Yes, that’s right, the policies they write for you are not commissioned. So you can trust that they are truly in this to help you (there isn't just dollar signs in their eyes). They love what they do, and they are darn good at fitting all the puzzle pieces together.

Other Links:

Email Meg Dieppa here.
Email Cheryl Lyons here.
Check out their Brochure here.

Forbes: Hurricane Insurance: Is It Important? Why Do You Need It?

WSJ: As Hurricane Season Arrives, U.S. Homeowners Haven’t Fixed Their Big Underinsurance Problem

Am I the only one that feels like summer temperatures have been hotter than usual? And there’s nothing like feeling hot and uncomfortable to allow yourself to complain just a little. Especially when frizzy hair and armpit stains aren’t the only things to be annoyed about; think: bugs, burned feet, expensive power bills and brown grass.

While here at Ocean Reef, we are lucky enough to enjoy the most beautiful swimming pools (including that to-die-for infinity pool) and refreshing ocean breezes to combat the warmth, here we’ve found a fun article about how to nix 9 irritating things about the summer heat; and some of them are surprisingly simple (I’m all about the backyard water feature).

While the first day of Fall is approaching, I’m not sure we’ll be seeing cooler temperatures anytime soon. Enjoy your flip flops, burgee caps and tropical drinks, it’s the dog days of summer.


Samantha Ochoa, Sales Associate
Watson Luxury Properties

Bill Gates and Steve Jobs raised their kids technology-free! Hard to believe, right? I mean, the two biggest technology moguls in our country were strict about the use of technology in their homes? Believe it.

Recently, our LinkedIn feed has been filled with articles about the physical effects of spending too much time on our phones, the damage blue light can do to your eyes, and how inactive our younger generation is – spending 7.5 hours daily in front of a screen! SCARY! Real Estate Agents particularly, know what it’s like to be constantly refreshing their MLS sites, following up with leads via email and text, and scouring the internet to keep up with real estate news and trends.

Now, I know it seems silly that this topic inspired a blog post, because, well, I typed this as I stared at my computer screen, and I only came across all this data on screen-time because I was scrolling in my LinkedIn app, but that’s the terrifying part! I bet there isn’t one person reading this that doesn’t feel they spend too much time in front of one screen or another.

The easiest ways we’ve learned to reduce daily screen time can be found right here. My personal favorites include: no screen time while eating, and setting a timer. Yes, a timer; seriously, I can get sucked into my Instagram feed and not come up for air until I’ve realized I’ve lost 30 minutes of my day!

Leave a comment below to share your tips on breaking the habit!

Other Links:

Business Insider's article on Bill Gates’ and Steve Jobs’ tech-free kiddos

WebMD tips we like on how to reduce kids screen time


Samantha Ochoa, Sales Associate
Watson Luxury Properties

Thinking of putting your home up on the market?

Wanting to sell quickly and at your asking price?

Besides the obvious: you should list with our office; you may ask: “Is home-staging really that impor…” “YES!” (Sorry to cut you off.)

You can find tried and true staging tips all over the internet, but the most important tip, in my little ‘ol opinion, is DECLUTTERING. All the clutter must go and no one ever said it will be easy. Your style may not be the style of everyone else; and decluttering allows your space to look BIGGER. Yes, BIGGER, and cleaner, and more appealing. Here we’ve found 21 helpful staging tips from Houzz to get you started.

Now let’s rewind. Decluttering does not mean EMPTY! (I know. I know. There is a fine balance in staging for a sale. It’s not fair.) So what do you do if your home is unoccupied and bare? Fill it!

Here we bring you a little #TBT when we were asked to sell an empty home earlier this year. Brand new furniture was whisked in from John Rudolph Designs and the buyer even had the option to purchase all or some of the pieces!

What are your thoughts? Does staging really make a difference?


Samantha Ochoa, Sales Associate
Watson Luxury Properties

Ocean Reef is known for having one of the most beautiful and well maintained dog parks in South Florida! That simple fact alone tells us that the Ocean Reef community is one that truly cherishes their dogs.

My daughter’s terrible allergies don’t allow our home to be that of a pooch’s paradise anymore. Since the passing of our beloved pup last year, a cute little cockatiel calls our house its home now (and we don’t mind the peaceful daily chirping).

However, as a former dog mom, I know that leaving your pooch at home while you work, or even for a quick trip to the grocery store, can be a stressful event for our four-legged babies.

To keep your pup from missing you too much next time you plan to be away from home for a few hours, try these easy and simple tips to keep your dog happy while you’re out. Spoiler Alert: It begins with exercise! Have you tried out our dog park?

P.S. We love meeting your furry family members! Next time you’re headed to or from the Ocean Reef Dog Park, remember to pop into our office (9 Barracuda Lane) so we can give your pup a pat and a treat!

We all know the feeling of sifting through our inboxes trying to decipher useful emails from spam and junk communication. While scrolling through our admin inbox here at WLP, I couldn’t help but click on an email from houselogic with the subject line “What smells so great?”

I’m a scent junkie; and truly believe that a fresh smelling home moves off the market much more quickly than a stale smelling listing. There’s just something about scent that allows a person to think “this is home.”

Rather than cleaning (or dare I say masking) with powerful chemicals, I suggest you try these easy DIY cleaners. The Lavender Linen Spray and Cinnamon and Sandalwood Air Freshener are definitely my personal favorites.