How ugly does “We buy Ugly Houses” need to be??

The don’t have to be ugly at all. These people are just looking for people desperate to sell. They offer half what the house is worth, spend a few thousand fixing it, and sell for a huge profit.
Patronizing these places is a bad idea. Unless you’re at the absolute end of the line (foreclosure sale in a week, or something like that) you can get more money by selling in the normal market.
Many agents actually do this hoping to get listings. They advertise “we buy houses,” and then talk you into listing with them when you call. I suppose I could do it – I’ve got a fixer client who will buy anything that people are willing to sell for about eighty percent of market (way above most similar companies). But it *feels* slimy. It’s okay for me to go around making low-ball offers to people who are not my clients. They can choose not to sell. It’s not okay for me to go around making low-ball offers to people who are my clients. They’re trusting us to do the best thing possible for them.