Is HOMEVESTORS a Great Franchise for Veterans? U.S. Veterans Magazine Says It Is.

U.S. Veterans magazine has removed JDog Brands as its #1 “Best Franchises for Veterans” list. Truth for Veterans Initiative now urges the Veteran’s magazine to revisit their #9 recommendation: The controversial Homevestors “We Buy Ugly Houses” franchise. We also request an explanation of their methodology and research for determining the Best Franchises specifically for Veterans and military families. by Sean Kelly

(UnhappyFranchisee.Com) U.S. Veterans magazine President & Publisher Mona Lisa Faris and Senior Managing Editor Danielle Jackola appear to be good people who truly care about Veterans and military families.

As the founder of a publication dependent on maintaining its trustworthiness in the military community, including both readers and sponsors,  it seems unlikely Ms. Faris would intentionally risk U.S. Veterans magazine’s reputation by overtly and publicly misleading Veterans.

As a military wife of 25 years (USMC), it seems inconceivable that Senior Managing Editor Danielle Jackola would knowingly bestow undeserved credibility upon and encourage Veterans and military families to invest in high-risk, high-failure-rate and widely maligned franchises.

So how did this happen?

What was the research methodology behind U.S. Veterans magazine’s variously titled “2025 Top 10 Vet-Friendly 10 Franchises” (digital magazine edition) and “Top 10 Franchises for Veterans in 2025” (website edition)?

What criteria and metrics were applied to the estimated 3,400 U.S. franchise companies to support their contention that these 10 (including JDog Brands and Homevestors) are safer and superior investments for Veterans than 3,390 other choices?

After an Initial Delay, U.S. Veterans Magazine Quickly Removed JDog Brands as its #1 Best Franchise for Veterans

We recently posted our Open Letter to Mona Lisa Faris here:

Truth For Veterans: Letter to U.S. Veterans Magazine, Mona Lisa Faris

After our initial communications seemed to be ignored for over a month, we were reassured by a nearly immediate response – and action – by  instant response by Senior Managing Editor Danielle Jackola.

While the quick action was reassuring, the question remains:  How did a Veterans publication decide to bestow its highest honor on (in my opinion at least)  the most blatant, callous and shameful exploitation of Veterans in the past 20 years?

How did my 50+ blog posts, dozens of google-indexed graphics and videos and frequent warnings circulated in the Veteran community escape their notice.

Did they Google “JDog franchise complaints”?

Or speak to the Veteran franchisees who invested in 400+ JDog franchises that no longer operate?

How – And Why – Did U.S. Veterans Magazine Decide to Promote Homevestors as a Best Franchise for Veterans?

After ProPublica published an award-winning series exposing alleged fraud, exploitative business practices and predatory practices targeting the elderly, Homevestors of America became one of the most publicly maligned franchises in America.

The investigation had tangible results, including:

• Policy changes by HomeVestors requiring disclosures and a 3-day cancellation window for sellers.
• The CEO of HomeVestors stepping down after the reporting.
• Continued follow-up investigations into franchise fraud and investor losses.

A Google search for “Homevestor complaints” yields top level results such as these:

Investigation Into HomeVestors of America Franchise Reveals Horrifying Predatory Real Estate & Consumer Practices

5 Lives Upended After Dealing With “We Buy Ugly Houses”

The Ugly Truth Behind “We Buy Ugly Houses” (ShelterForce)

The Ugly Truth Behind “We Buy Ugly Houses” (Propublica)

The Ugly Truth: HomeVestors of America’s Exploitative ...

Homevestors Has a 3-Year Franchise Turnover Rate of 50%

Homevestors FDD Reveals Substantial Litigation

LITIGATION
Suits to Collect Payments [From franchisees]
1. HomeVestors of America, Inc. v. Pride Properties LLC; Marcus Bray; Matthew Bray;  Cause No.
DC-23-09657 in the District Court, 134th Judicial District, Dallas County, Texas.
2. HomeVestors of America, Inc. v. Smith & Sons Holdings LLC; Chad M Smith; Case No. 2024 CC
000102 in the Circuit Court of the Ninth Judicial Circuit in Orange County Florida; Filed March 22, 2024.
3. HomeVestors of America, Inc. v. Alternative Assets, LLC & Jack C. Alexander Jr.; Circuit Court of the Ninth Judicial Circuit in Orange County Florida; Filed February 8, 2024.
4. HomeVestors of America, Inc. v. W. Franklin Dees; Sharon Dees; Tar River Property Solutions;
5. HomeVestors of America, Inc. v. Eagleview Development LLC & Prince J. Mageza; Case No: 2481CV03315, in the Middlesex County Superior Court of the State of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Filed on December 19, 2024.

Other Pending Matters
Clear Call Properties, LP, Keller McCrary, and Jamie McCrary v. Charles E. Carrier, C&C Residential Properties, Inc., and HomeVestors of America, Inc.; Cause DC-25-02154, in the District Court, 95th Judicial District, Dallas County, Texas.

Michael Regan and Richard Regan v. Charles E. Carrier, C&C Residential Properties, Inc., Carrier
Residential Properties, Inc., Best Texas Title, LLC, d/b/a The Title Company, Lindsay Haroon, Idris
Haroon, Sandeep Singh, Gregory Walker, Hilary Julianne Millican, I&L Holdings, LLC, City Bank d/b/a
City Bank Mortgage, First United Bank and Trust Company, Everett Financial, Inc., d/b/a Supreme
Lending, and HomeVestors of America, Inc.

William Edwards v. HomeVestors of America, Inc., Oliver Delgado, Delgado Properties, LLC, and Elanor Henderson; Cause No. DC-24-22301 in the District Court, 14th Judicial District, Dallas County, Texas.

Settled Matters
HomeVestors of America, Inc. v. Lott’s Alamo City Properties, Inc., Toni D’Angelo-Lott, and Kenneth Lott; Lott’s Alamo City Properties, Inc., The Realty Network Inc., BLT Acquisitions LP, Toni D’Angelo-Lott, and Kenneth Lott v. HomeVestors of America, Inc.; AAA Arbitration Claim No. 01 19 0004 4601.

The parties entered into a settlement agreement on September 13, 2022 under which [homevestors] paid the Lotts a lump sum of $576,000 and each party released all of their claims against
the other party.

Homevestors FDD States Former Franchisees Cannot Share Their Opinions or Experiences, And Prospective Franchisees (including Veterans) Cannot Speak to Them

According to the Homevestors 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document (PDF):

The names, addresses and telephone numbers of all franchisees and their HomeVestors Businesses as of
the end of our most currently completed fiscal year are attached as Exhibit F-1…

Franchisees have signed confidentiality clauses during our last three fiscal years. In some circumstances,
current and former franchisees sign provisions restricting their ability to speak openly about their
experience with our System. You may wish to speak with current and former franchisees, but be aware that
not all such franchisees will be able to communicate with you

Homevestors May or May Not be a Good Franchise for Veterans.  But Superior to 99.7% of All 3,400 Franchises?  U.S. Veterans Magazine Should Share Its Research.

Invitation:  All companies and individuals discussed on this website are invited to share corrections, clarifications, explanations or rebuttals.  You may publish a comment below, email a response to UnhappyFranchisee at Gmail dot Com, or both.

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