America Votes Chicago Home “Ugliest House of the Year” for HomeVestors®

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Chicago has the ugliest house in America. That’s according to thousands of people who voted online at www.theugliesthouse.com in HomeVestors’ Second Annual Ugliest House of the Year contest. The “winner” was announced today at the company’s annual convention at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.

“People know us for our famous ‘We Buy Ugly Houses’® billboards, and this contest is proof that we mean what we say,” said John Hayes, president and CEO of HomeVestors of America.

The Chicago winner is a 100-year-old property located at 10347 S. Avenue L. The house was purchased by HomeVestors franchisee Scott Gottlieb of SNL Realty, LLC, and has been restored.

“This house was ugly from the inside out,” said Gottlieb. “It was animal-infested and completely piled high with garbage. On our first visit we couldn’t even get the front and back doors open due to the amount of clutter pressed against the walls.” Gottlieb purchased the property, managed the clean up and sold it to a wholesaler who gutted the house and handled the restoration.

“This was a true before and after makeover,” added Gottlieb. “Once upon a time it was a historic, beautiful house, and thankfully it’s been restored to its former glory.” The house was recently put on the market and quickly found a buyer.

“Our nation may have seen its ugliest year for residential real estate yet, but our business is ugly every year,” said Hayes, whose franchise network has bought more than 37,000 homes for cash. “The Chicago winner is a perfect example of how HomeVestors is helping communities across America turn eyesores into something wonderful. We buy houses that nobody else would ever dream of buying and either renovate them or find investors to restore them and create a beautiful home for a family.”

The Chicago home was one of ten finalists in the running for Ugliest House of the Year. The online voting took place from Oct. 15 to Nov. 15.

The Ugliest Top 10

America voted for houses in these cities in the following ugly order:

1. Chicago, Ill.
2. Philadelphia, Pa.
3. Atlanta, Ga.
4. Milwaukee, Wis.
5. Norfolk, Va.
6. Daytona Beach, Fla.
7. Houston, Texas
8. Kansas City, Mo.
9. Washington D.C.
10. Richmond, Va.

About HomeVestors of America, Inc.

Founded in 1989 and franchising since 1996, Dallas-based HomeVestors® of America, Inc., has more than 210 franchises throughout the United States. The first franchise company of its kind, HomeVestors® trains and supports franchisees who specialize in buying homes in need of repair. Most commonly known as the "We Buy Ugly Houses"® franchise, HomeVestors® strives to make a positive impact in each community. More information is available at www.homevestors.com.

Satellite Coordinates:

Date: 12/3/08

Time: 2 p.m. ET – 2:15 p.m. ET (14:00 ET – 14:15 ET)

Coords: GAL 3C TRANSPONDER 21 (C-BAND) ANALOG

Downlink: 4120 H

Status: FIRM

Date: 12/3/08

Time: 4 p.m. ET – 4:15 p.m. ET (16:00 ET – 16:15 ET)

Coords: GAL 3C TRANSPONDER 21 (C-BAND) ANALOG

Downlink: 4120 H

Status: FIRM

Satellite feed is 1:48 and includes:

Press release

B-roll of the renovated Ugliest House of the Year

Still images of the Ugliest House of the Year before renovation

Still image of the house after renovation