HomeVestors Reviews: Is Selling to a Cash Buyer Worth It?
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- 14 min read
- Richard Haddad Executive EditorCloseRichard Haddad Executive Editor
Richard Haddad is the executive editor of HomeLight.com. He works with an experienced content team that oversees the company’s blog featuring in-depth articles about the home buying and selling process, homeownership news, home care and design tips, and related real estate trends. Previously, he served as an editor and content producer for World Company, Gannett, and Western News & Info, where he also served as news director and director of internet operations.
If you’re considering selling a house that needs repairs or you’re facing a tough deadline, you may have come across HomeVestors, the company behind the “We Buy Ugly Houses” brand. Known for making all-cash offers and quick closings, HomeVestors has helped thousands of sellers offload unwanted properties — from inherited homes to houses at risk of foreclosure.
But as you research HomeVestors reviews, you’ll see mixed opinions. Some sellers say the process was simple and stress-free, while others felt the offer was too low.
Before you decide whether to accept a cash offer from HomeVestors, here’s what you need to know about how the company works, what past customers say, and what alternatives you might consider.
What is the history behind HomeVestors?
HomeVestors of America was founded in 1989 by Dallas real estate agent Ken D’Angel. His mission was to help sellers unload properties quickly without the hurdles of traditional real estate. Over the years, the company became best known through its “We Buy Ugly Houses” brand, a franchise model that was rolled out in 1996.
Instead of a single corporate office buying homes, HomeVestors licenses its brand to hundreds of independently owned franchises across the U.S. Each franchise follows the same system but may operate differently depending on local market conditions and the owner’s business practices.
Today, HomeVestors is one of the largest home-buying groups in the country, with more than 1,100 independently owned and operated franchises. In fact, the wordmark under its company logo is “America’s #1 Home Buyer.”
Ug the Caveman: You may recognize HomeVestors’ “We Buy Ugly Houses” franchise ads by its iconic caveman named Ug. The friendly mascot is often featured on bright yellow signs reassuring homeowners that, regardless of condition, they can sell their house “as is.”
HomeVestors reviews
In this section, we’ll provide an overview of HomeVestors reviews and customer ratings taken from the company’s Dallas headquarters Better Business Bureau page and its Google customer reviews page.
When evaluating HomeVestors/We Buy Ugly Houses reviews, it’s important to remember that each location can have its own BBB or Google customer feedback page. The reviews you see for one location and its staff may be very different from the reviews written about another location.
Better Business Bureau reviews: HomeVestors’ headquarters holds an A+ BBB rating and is a BBB-accredited business. However, the company only has 1.37 stars out of 5 stars on its headquarters BBB review page. Many of its franchise offices are independently accredited by BBB and hold higher customer scores.
Google customer reviews: We Buy Ugly Houses and HomeVestors’ overall Google customer reviews rating is higher, at 3.4 stars out of 5 stars. Again, with over 1,100 independently-owned franchises, the location in your market may have a different Google customer rating.
Below are short HomeVestors review snippets taken from its Dallas headquarters BBB and Google business pages. The company also hosts a We Buy Ugly Houses website page with customer reviews and testimonials.
5-star positive review snippets
- Quite literally the best experience ever! From beginning to end, everything went smoothly, and those involved with the sale and closing were incredibly kind. This is likely one of the best things we’ve ever done! I couldn’t recommend any higher!
- HomeVestors is a great solution for someone needing to sell their home. I would recommend that you at least give them consideration when looking for a solution outside of a realtor. HomeVestors rises to the top in a sea of inexperienced investors.
- What I like best about HomeVestors is their philosophy of putting the customer first by helping the customer make the best decision based on their personal situation.
- [The franchise owner] who came to my house was upfront and honest with me and my wife. He did not pressure us to sell our house to them. [He] was very professional about the whole ordeal.
- [The franchise owner] did a good job in buying our home. He gave us an offer, we accepted, and three weeks later, the funds were in our account.
- The service they provide is the very best. They help because they care. Thank you!
- We did business with one of the franchisees and had a great experience. [The franchise owner] kept his word, and so did we.
- Great company, great people. All the people I have dealt with are great, and you can trust that they will do what they say.
- This company is phenomenal…Best process to close on a house fast and with a great, trustworthy team at the same time.
- HomeVestors does a great job of helping people out of an ugly situation with their house.
1-star negative review snippets
- Very disappointed in their attempt to lowball me on my house with unreasonable and inaccurate repair costs.
- Their offer was $60,000 less than any other offer I received.
- They don’t offer a fair amount. ‘Buy low, sell high’ should be their motto.
- I had a signed contract to sell my house, and [the franchise owner] changed the settlement page after closing.
- Although the HomeVestors ads say the seller doesn’t pay closing costs, [the franchise owner] stuck me with closing costs.
- They target those less fortunate and send endless amounts of mail ads with many disguises.
- The [franchise owner] assured us and promised us they would not back out. [But at] 5 pm the night before closing, they did. We would have done things differently had we known it was possible.
- The company is harassing my family with “postcards” that are not only not addressed to us, but are also nowhere near where we live.
- I have been telling this company for years to stop harassing me, but they continue, even though I was told they would OPT me OUT.
- This company keeps mailing my grandmother when we have called multiple times to get them to stop. We have asked to be put on a do-not-contact list, but [we] get mail from them at least once a month.
Unwanted solicitations: Many of the 1-star reviews on the HomeVestors BBB page are not from customers who used the house-buying service but rather from homeowners who received unwanted solicitations. This is a common consumer complaint among cash-for-homes companies.
How does HomeVestors work?
The process with HomeVestors/We Buy Ugly Houses usually starts when you call their number or fill out a form on the website. Similar to other reputable house-buying companies, the next steps are straightforward and typically flow like this:
- A local franchisee will contact you, gather details about your property, and schedule a walkthrough.
- A representative from the local franchise will visit your home and review the condition of the property.
- After assessing the condition of the home, they’ll present you with a cash offer.
- If you accept, you can typically close in as little as a few weeks — sometimes faster. The franchisee will coordinate the closing process.
HomeVestors buys properties “as is,” meaning you don’t have to make repairs, clean out belongings, or stage the house. While this convenience appeals to many sellers, the tradeoff is that the cash offer is often below what you might receive if you listed your home with an agent on the open market.
You can use the calculator below to get a rough idea of how a cash offer from an as-is house-buying company might compare to other selling methods.
Does HomeVestors serve your area?
HomeVestors has expanded nationwide through its “We Buy Ugly Houses” franchise network, serving more than 800 locations across 47 states and the District of Columbia. To find out if they buy homes in your area, you can visit the company’s main website at homevestors.com or its We Buy Ugly Houses website, webuyuglyhouses.com, and enter your zip code.
In your search for local HomeVestors reviews, we’ve created a table below with direct links to some of the larger metro-area We Buy Ugly Houses franchise Google review pages.
What homes are a good fit for HomeVestors?
HomeVestors primarily targets houses that may not sell easily on the open market. Homes that tend to be a better fit include:
- Properties needing major repairs: Outdated electrical, roofing issues, foundation problems, or other costly fixes.
- Inherited homes: When family members don’t want the burden of repairs, showings, or maintaining the inherited property.
- Homes facing foreclosure: Sellers who need to act quickly to avoid losing the home entirely.
- Vacant or rental properties: Especially if the owner no longer wants to manage tenants or upkeep.
Time-sensitive sales: Such as divorce, relocation, or other personal circumstances that require speed.
If your home is in good condition, you can still get an offer from HomeVestors. However, in some cases, national iBuyers like Opendoor or Offerpad may provide higher offers for homes in good condition. If you sell with a top agent, you’ll likely get even more money from your home sale.
What is the cost of using HomeVestors?
HomeVestors doesn’t charge traditional real estate commissions or service fees. Instead, the cost comes from the offer price itself. Because they purchase properties “as is,” HomeVestors builds in its profit margin by paying below market value.
That means you avoid:
- Agent commissions
- Repair costs
- Staging or cleaning expenses
However, you should expect their offer to be significantly lower than what your home might sell for with a real estate agent. For many sellers, the tradeoff is worth it if they need certainty, speed, or relief from repair costs — but for others, the lower net proceeds can be a major drawback.
Pros and cons of using HomeVestors
Pros
- Fast closings: Many deals wrap up in a few weeks, sometimes sooner.
- No repairs required: Sell the home exactly as it is.
- Convenient, easy process: A straightforward system with no showings or open houses.
- Certainty: All-cash buyers mean no risk of financing falling through.
- No commissions or hidden fees: The offer is what you walk away with, minus standard closing costs.
Cons
- Lower sale price: Offers are typically well below market value.
- Varied experiences: Service can differ depending on the local franchise owner.
- Aggressive marketing: Some sellers report frequent calls or mailers.
- Limited availability: Not every city or county has a HomeVestors franchise.
- One-sided negotiation: It’s usually a take-it-or-leave-it cash offer.
Vet cash buyers and know your home’s worth
If you’re considering selling to HomeVestors or any cash-for-homes company, it’s important to do your homework before accepting an offer. Not all investors operate the same way, and your experience can vary depending on the franchise owner. To protect yourself:
- Research reviews in your area: Check Google, Yelp, and the Better Business Bureau to see what other local sellers have experienced.
- Request multiple offers: Compare what HomeVestors is willing to pay against other local cash buyers.
- Get a professional opinion: A real estate agent can provide a comparative market analysis (CMA) so you understand what your home could realistically sell for on the open market. In some cases, you might want to get a professional appraisal.
- Use online tools: Free resources like HomeLight’s Home Value Estimator can give you a baseline sense of your property’s worth.
- Consider the offer terms: Beyond the offer price, carefully review the terms of the purchase agreement. Be certain the closing timeline fits your plans.
Before committing to a house-buying group or investor, HomeLight recommends you compare cash offers to what an experienced real estate agent might be able to get for your home. HomeLight can connect you with top-performing agents in your market.
Alternatives to HomeVestors
If HomeVestors isn’t the right fit, here are other companies sellers often compare when reviewing cash-offer options:
- Simple Sale by HomeLight
- We Buy Houses
- HomeGo
- Sundae
- Mark Spain Real Estate
- Homeward
- Opendoor
- Offerpad
How does HomeLight Simple Sale work?
Simple Sale is an all-cash offer service created by HomeLight that takes the stress and uncertainty out of selling your home. Our online platform connects you with the largest network of trusted cash buyers in the country. Unlike most house-buying services, Simple Sale shows you all your options.
You’ll receive a no-obligation cash offer: With Simple Sale, you’ll receive a cash offer within 24 hours and can close your sale in as few as 7 days.
You can compare the cash offer: Our platform compares your cash offer amount with an estimation of what you might receive if you list your home on the market using a top agent.
You’ll see a list of top local agents: Simple Sale also recommends proven agents in your market based on thousands of customer reviews and transaction data, like sale-to-list ratios. You’ll know which area agents sell the most homes in your city and price range, so you can compare all your options in one place.
Here is the easy 4-step Simple Sale process:
HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform can provide cash offers for homes nearly anywhere in the United States and in almost any condition.
Simple Sale customer testimonial
“Thanks to HomeLight, I was able to sell my home quickly and without any hassle. I was very skeptical at first because of all the many ‘we buy houses for cash’ companies that are out there nowadays. But I am thankful that I decided to give [HomeLight] a try. I didn’t need to do any repairs, and we closed on my timeline. This was the absolute best decision that I could have made. Thank you, HomeLight. I will recommend you to my family and friends.” — Karen S. from Olive Branch, Mississippi
More than 2 million people have used HomeLight to get a better outcome when selling or buying a home. Read more HomeLight customer reviews on our testimonial page.
Free tools offered by HomeLight
- Find a Top Agent
- Home Value Estimator
- Agent Commissions Calculator
- Home Affordability Calculator
- Net Proceeds Calculator
- Best Time to Sell Calculator
Is an all-cash offer right for you?
Whether selling to HomeVestors or another investor, the real question is whether an all-cash offer fits your needs. These sales make the most sense if:
- You need to sell quickly because of foreclosure, divorce, relocation, or financial pressure.
- Your home needs significant repairs you can’t or don’t want to take on.
- You’d prefer a simple, no-hassle process over squeezing every last dollar from your sale.
For homeowners facing an imminent life change or financial need, the convenience of a fast, cash offer can’t be beat. On the other hand, if your home is in good condition and you’re not pressed for time, listing with a real estate agent may help you earn far more.
To see all your options in one place, use HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform. To get started, answer a few questions about your property and selling timeline. There is no risk or obligation to request a cash offer.
Editor’s note: House-buying programs can change. For the most up-to-date information, please visit the company’s website.
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