Home Ownersite Assists Homeowners With Hurricane Season Preparation By Offering Comprehensive Home Inventory Solution

Tracks Valuables, Ensures Sufficient Insurance Coverage, Speeds Recovery

ROSWELL, GA – June 4, 2009 – Home Ownersite (http://home.ownersite.com), the complete home ownership website created by Ownersite Technologies, is reminding homeowners that hurricane season has begun and there is no better time than now to start creating a home inventory to document everything in and around the home. Not exclusive to hurricane season, Home Ownersite and a detailed inventory add year-round value for homeowners in case of unexpected events, such as fire, theft, or other natural disasters.

According to a May 2008 survey by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, most homeowners are not prepared if hurricanes strike, resulting in lost possessions. The survey found that 48% of homeowners have no home inventory of their possessions, while 32% do not have inventories with photos, and 58% do not have inventories with receipts to substantiate the value of their possessions. Additionally, of those that do have home inventories, 44% do not have remotely stored inventories and 28% do not have know what type of insurance they have or what it covers.

Home Ownersite offers a comprehensive online approach to managing the complete home ownership experience. Unlike other solutions that may require software, printouts, or trips to a safe deposit box, Home Ownersite makes it easy to securely record all of the important details of home ownership. The online service provides a shareable home inventory, photo album, and file manager that can be used to store important records related to personal belongings, taxes, mortgages, insurance policies, repairs and renovations, and more.

As a featured speaker on consumer solutions for the recent Jefferson Parish Hurricane Preparedness Expo, an area of Louisiana devastated by Hurricane Katrina, Steven Eppinger, President and CEO of Ownersite Technologies, noted, “The Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have publicly touted the benefits of a home inventory. It is better to get prepared now before the hurricanes begin or some other emergency strikes. Having an up-to-date listing of what they own and what it is worth will provide homeowners with peace of mind. Without it, a homeowner may get less than 50% of the actual value of their belongings because there is no proof in terms of its replacement value.”

In commenting on the benefits of a home inventory, Eppinger added, “Having an online home inventory enables an insurance company or government agency to more effectively validate the amount of funds needed to rebuild and replace more quickly than if a homeowner tried to put together a list of everything they owned from memory. With the lack of sleep and emotions running high, no one will remember everything. However, an online record accessed from any computer, PDA, or mobile phone can be provided to an insurance company immediately upon loss. This will mean that claims can be processed faster, perhaps within a matter of weeks rather than months. Additionally, the service also helps homeowners work with their insurance companies to determine if they are sufficiently covered through a customizable, password-protected, and confidential web page.”

The technology behind the Home Ownersite service makes constructing a home inventory quick, easy, and safe. No additional software beyond a web browser is required. Photos can be uploaded and receipts scanned with a thumbnail for each image. There are user-friendly pages that help walk the homeowner through the process, taking as little as 2-3 hours to complete for an average three-bedroom home. The company utilizes a Class A data center, offering large data storage capacity and 256-bit high-grade encryption. Home Ownersite has a clear policy on how privacy is protected. It also adheres to the strict PCI-DSS security and policy standards put forth by credit card companies.

In keeping with the company’s philosophy of offering high value at a low cost, the Home Ownersite service is only $29.95 per year with a 60-day free trial offer. Homeowners can get started right now by visiting http://home.ownersite.com.

About Home Ownersite
Home Ownersite (http://home.ownersite.com) is a web‐based application that makes it easy to safely and securely record all of the important details of home ownership—from a comprehensive and shareable home inventory—to a photo album and file manager to store important home records related to taxes, mortgages, insurance policies, and more. While there are many home inventory solutions available, our comprehensive online approach to managing the complete ownership lifecycle provides subscribers with a unique, year-round value proposition.

About Ownersite Technologies
Ownersite Technologies is a privately held technology company based in Roswell, GA. Founded in 2000, it is the mission of Ownersite Technologies to provide the most comprehensive web-based and mobile solutions to enhance personal asset lifecycles, aimed at increasing the safety, dependability and value of our customers’ homes and vehicles. We do this through direct relationships with the owners themselves, as well as through financial service and insurance providers, automotive service shops, and enthusiast networks. For further information, please visit http://www.ownersite.com.

Helping home owners better prepare for disasters

When we first started developing Home Ownersite, we knew that the primary component that would draw subscribers was the inventory capability. The idea of keeping a home inventory is something that naturally resonates with consumers that want to be prepared in the event of a natural disaster.

As we looked at the market further, we realized that there is so much more to being prepared for a disaster for home owners than just the inventory. Corporate America has embraced risk mitigation through disaster planning for years, so we sought to find a company that helps the Fortune 500 decrease their risk to bring similar concepts to the consumer. What we found, and who we decided to work with, is the highly respected RP Risk Advisors.

There are already printed and static resources that advise on how to prepare for a flood, fire, hurricane, tornado, etc (we even link to them in Home Ownersite's Resources section), but no true interactive, online resource that takes into account your unique risk level based on a number of factors. Working with RP, we have started developing the first online, interactive resource for home owners to prepare for a disaster.

We are very excited to bring our subscribers this functionality, which should be rolled out in early 2009, so keep watching this space (or your Home Ownersite account) for more information. The press release is embedded below.

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