We Buy Ugly Houses Review

Is We Buy Ugly Houses right for you?

Companies like We Buy Ugly Houses cater to homeowners who need to quickly offload a property that would be hard to sell on the open market. We Buy Ugly Houses could be a good fit if:

• Your house is in poor condition or in need of major renovations
• The home is in a less desirable neighborhood
• Other factors are making your home hard to sell (probate sales, problem tenants, flood zone, etc.)
• You’ve inherited a home but can’t afford to maintain it
• You need to sell extremely quickly due to a move, divorce, or other life change
• You’re facing foreclosure or need immediate cash funds

In these situations, We Buy Ugly Houses lets you sell your home as is and close on your timeline. You can walk away with very little hassle or stress — but there's a definite financial tradeoff that comes from selling directly to a cash buyer.

Property investors need to get a generous discount on purchase price in order to secure a profit when they resell the home at market value later on. Recent data from Redfin shows that investors typically resell homes for about 55% more than they pay.[1] 

Investor Charles H. Chandler III, CEO and co-founder of My Tennessee Home Solution, explains that selling to an investor can be the right move for someone who needs a quick out or requires some creative solutions to get a house sold, such as when you've inherited a home with lots of clutter or deferred maintenance. "It is a much quicker sale and investors typically let you leave everything behind in the house," says Chandler.

However, "most of the time, it makes more sense to work with an agent," says Chandler III. "If someone just wants to skip out on agent fees, I would not recommend calling an investor because offers will be lower than just what the agent fees are." This is especially true given the emergence of low commission brokerages that are changing the standards for realtor fees.

If you’re planning to request an offer from We Buy Ugly Houses, it’s smart to get at least one or two competing bids before signing. Sellers with multiple offers to fall back on tend to get better prices and contract terms.

How We Buy Ugly Houses works

We Buy Ugly Houses has a vast network of investors who buy homes for cash. Sellers don’t need to worry about repairing, updating, or even cleaning the property. 

If you want to sell your home through We Buy Ugly Houses, here’s what to expect:

1. Complete an online form to book a no-obligation home review.
2. Confirm your details with the company. Then, your local branch will reach out to schedule a walkthrough.
3. Once the walkthrough is complete, you’ll receive a cash offer — sometimes on the same day.
4. You can accept the cash offer and move to the closing process or deny the offer and walk away.
5. Close on your home in as little as three weeks.

To get a firsthand look at how the process works, we sent a homeowner in suburban New York City through the HomeVestors experience as a secret shopper.[2]

After calling in response to a mailer, our shopper had an appointment scheduled within a week. The evaluator arrived on time, professionally dressed in a company-branded shirt, and carried a checklist during the home tour. "Before the home tour, we sat down to talk briefly about why I wanted to sell, when I was hoping to move, and what I was looking for in terms of an offer," our shopper reported.

Our shopper noted that the rep was surprisingly transparent about the tradeoffs, "telling me I would probably get more money if I were to sell it the traditional way using a real estate agent." However, he also emphasized the convenience of a cash sale with no contingencies, no inspection, and no risk of financing falling through. 

Within 15 minutes of completing the walkthrough, the evaluator presented a written offer for $301,200, which was more than $100,000 off from the listing range of $400,000–469,000 that two independent realtors had suggested. 

Our shopper also reported that there was little room for negotiation "I gave them an opportunity to come back with a better number, but they were unwilling to do so."

While our mystery shopper ultimately declined the offer, she gave HomeVestors high marks for their professionalism and communication, noting that there was no pressure from her local rep to move forward: "He was very gracious. He said he understood, and in no way tried to talk me into accepting it."

How much does We Buy Ugly Houses pay?

In our secret shopping exercise with HomeVestors, our homeowner received an offer of $301,200 for her 1,200-square-foot Cape-style home in suburban New York City. For comparison, two local realtors independently ran comparative market analyses and estimated a listing price of about $434,500 — suggesting the HomeVestors offer came in at roughly 69% of estimated market value.

Even after accounting for an estimated $33,000 in closing costs and commissions on a traditional sale, our shopper would have netted about $401,500 with an agent — approximately $100,000 more than the HomeVestors offer.

This gap is fairly typical of how cash investors approach pricing. Most use some version of what's known as the 70% rule, which says to estimate the home's after-repair value based on comparable home sales in the area, multiply that number by 70%, and subtract the projected repair costs to arrive at the offer price. 

That said, investors may adjust their offers up or down based on a property's condition and other factors, such as:

• The desirability of the location
• The cost and complexity of repairs
• Local buyer or tenant demand
• Investment strategy (e.g. quick flip vs. rental with potential price appreciation)
• The amount of risk involved (due to legal issues, problem tenants, buying sight unseen, etc.)

"We typically look to acquire properties at least with 25% equity," says Chandler, who has purchased more than 300 homes in and around Nashville. "We determine the resale of the property, then multiply that resale value by 75% and then deduct the renovation cost. That final number gives us our offer amount."

An Clever Real Estate survey of over 700 real estate investors found that the majority (56%) cap their offers at 70% of ARV, while an additional 11% cap their offers at 80% of ARV. 

We Buy Ugly Houses fees and other costs

There’s no upfront cost to seek an offer from We Buy Ugly Houses, and the company doesn’t charge any fees or commissions. The cash buyer also covers closing costs.

However, these costs will be baked into the offer price, along with the investor's repair estimate and desired profit margin.

We Buy Ugly Houses vs. alternatives

While We Buy Ugly Houses can be a good option for homeowners in a tough spot, it’s not for everyone.

If you want to maximize the profit on your home sale, working with a real estate agent who offers competitive commission rates can be a better choice. Many low-commission realtors provide full service at a fraction of the cost (typically about 1.5% of the sale price vs. the average 2.5–3%). They can work on your timeline and also help you negotiate terms such as sale price, repairs, move out dates, etc.

If you’re set on selling to a cash buyer, get multiple offers from cash home buyers to ensure you get a good deal. Remember, how much an investor will pay for your house will depend on several factors — including the buyer themselves — so it’s wise to shop around. 

We Buy Ugly Houses vs. Clever Offers 

Rather than a single take-it-or-leave-it offer from a company like We Buy Ugly Houses, Clever Offers gives you multiple options to choose from. You can explore direct cash offers from local/national investors, plus hybrid options that give you cash upfront with the ability to list for additional upside. 

You can also test the market with a short-term MLS listing that you can cancel anytime. That way, you can cast a much wider net to see what the market will pay compared to the offers you already have in hand.

We Buy Ugly Houses vs. Opendoor

Opendoor, the nation’s largest iBuyer, will purchase your home as is and close on your timeline. It typically pays more than a cash buyer, although the offer will still be below market value. Final offers may also include deductions for repairs and market conditions.

While We Buy Ugly Houses will purchase homes in any condition, Opendoor has stricter criteria and won’t buy homes in need of significant repairs. You’ll also pay a variable service fee (typically 5%, but may be more depending on the market) to Opendoor, whereas We Buy Ugly Houses charges no fees.

We Buy Ugly Houses vs. We Buy Houses

We Buy Houses is another cash home-buying company with franchises in most states — although it doesn't have as many offices as We Buy Ugly Houses. 

Like We Buy Ugly Houses, the company makes a quick, all-cash offer on homes in almost any condition. It has highly positive reviews and charges no additional fees or closing costs. But offers will still be lower than what you could get selling on the open market.

We Buy Ugly Houses vs. HomeLight Simple Sale

HomeLight Simple Sale (or HomeLight Cash Offers) is an offer marketplace that compiles multiple preliminary cash offers for you to compare. The service is free, and there’s no obligation to accept the offer.

You can expect the offers to be similar to the one you’ll get from We Buy Ugly Houses. But with HomeLight Simple Sale, you have the option to reject the cash offer and connect with a realtor through HomeLight’s agent-matching service. This gives you the opportunity to sell your home for a higher price on the open market.

» MORE: Looking for more cash buyers near you? Check out the best companies that buy houses for cash to see our comprehensive guides for all 50 states. 

We Buy Ugly Houses reviews and complaints

Source	Average Rating	Review Count
BBB	1.3	27
Google	4.7	2,974
Weighted Average:	4.7	3,001

We Buy Houses reviews are generally quite positive. The company has an overall average rating of 4.7/5 across 3,001 online customer reviews. 

Many customers say We Buy Ugly Houses reps were transparent about the cash buying process from the beginning. They said they received fair offers, high-quality service, and good communication. The company consistently responds to both positive and negative reviews.

Some negative We Buy Ugly Houses reviews stated that the company will spam you with unwanted marketing materials. In addition, a few reviewers (less than 5%) said they received extremely low offers.

It’s important to note that your experience may vary based on the franchise. Check the reviews for your local branch before working with them.

Here are some of the most common themes we found among We Buy Ugly Houses reviews. 

✅ Easy, transparent process

Customers from multiple We Buy Ugly Houses franchises noted that their experience was easy and hassle-free.

✅ Fair and ethical

Most We Buy Ugly Houses customers were satisfied with the treatment they received, including the amounts they were offered, given the condition of the homes they were selling.

✅ Helpful in difficult situations

Several home sellers were facing tough situations, like out-of-state or probate sales. Others faced emotional challenges, like selling the home of a loved one who recently passed. They said We Buy Ugly Homes offered much-needed help.

❌ Disappointing offers

A few scattered reviews note that offers are much lower than expected, sometimes insultingly so.

❌ Unwanted marketing

The most common complaints about We Buy Ugly Houses were that the company spammed them with unwanted flyers and phone calls, despite asking to be removed from their contact list.

What types of homes does We Buy Ugly Houses buy?

We Buy Ugly Houses will buy almost any property except mobile homes. This includes houses that are distressed, structurally unsound, located in flood zones, or occupied by tenants. The company will also purchase some commercial properties.

Is We Buy Ugly Houses legit?

Yes, We Buy Ugly Houses is a legitimate business based in Dallas, Texas. It operates under the umbrella of HomeVestors of America, Inc., and has an A+ rating on the BBB.[3]

However, the company has faced serious scrutiny in recent years — and some of its franchisees have been involved in documented misconduct.

The ProPublica investigation

In 2023, an investigation by ProPublica found that some We Buy Ugly Houses franchise owners took advantage of distressed homeowners by pressuring them to sell for less than their homes were worth.[4]

ProPublica also found problems with the company's wholesaling strategy — rather than flipping every house, some franchise owners wholesaled most of their properties, which could cause deals to fall through at the last minute if buyers backed out.

The investigation prompted significant leadership changes. CEO David Hicks stepped down following the reporting, and the company cycled through leadership before appointing Joshua Waltzer as CEO — a role he held as of late 2025.[5] Several U.S. senators also called for more consumer protections against predatory real estate practices in response to the findings.[6]

The Charles Carrier fraud case

In a separate incident that further tested the company's oversight, a former top-performing franchise owner named Charles Carrier was accused of running a Ponzi-like scheme through his Dallas-based franchise, C&C Residential Properties. According to ProPublica and federal court documents, Carrier defrauded approximately 80 investors out of nearly $40 million by taking out multiple loans against the same properties and using new investor money to pay off earlier investors.[7]

HomeVestors terminated Carrier's franchise in October 2024 after receiving a tip through its ethics hotline — which was created in response to the original ProPublica investigation. The company reported Carrier to the FBI and later sued him for trademark infringement. In May 2025, Carrier agreed to plead guilty to felony wire fraud, a charge that carries up to 20 years in prison.[8]

Investors in the case have blamed HomeVestors for insufficient oversight, noting that Carrier had operated under the brand for nearly two decades and was regularly recognized as a top franchise performer. HomeVestors has denied responsibility, stating that its franchises are independently operated.

Review excerpts highlighting concerns

Our team's analysis found several mentions of perceived predatory practices, undisclosed wholesaling, and last-minute deal cancellations in customer reviews:

• "They take advantage of your situation and lowball you on the price."
• "High pressure, lied about the condition of the property and what they planned to do with it."
• "Predatory company trying to make a profit off of someone's grief. Claiming they want to help when what they really want is to buy property off of stressed-out and sad people so they can turn a profit."
• "Then at closing, they say they can't buy your house, it's worse than they thought."
• "They say they buy houses as is and then sell them after buying them, but in all reality, they wait for someone else to buy them."

Company reforms

It's important to note that many of the review excerpts above were left two or more years ago, and the company has taken steps to address these issues. In 2024, We Buy Ugly Houses introduced new measures including revised training materials, more audits, a platform for franchisees to report issues anonymously, and the addition of a three-day opt-out period for customers.[9]

Under current CEO Joshua Waltzer, the company has continued to emphasize its ethics hotline and its code of conduct for franchisees. However, the Carrier case — which unfolded after these reforms were announced — suggests that oversight gaps may still exist within the franchise model.

While our secret shopper noted that her We Buy Ugly Houses rep "was honest and upfront about how the company works," the pattern of serious incidents across the franchise network is something sellers should weigh carefully. We recommend thoroughly vetting your local franchise's reviews and track record before entering into a contract.

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