Im also a HomeVestors Franchisee and have been active for the past 4 years in 2 different Markets, Chicago, IL and Cleveland, OH. (not so active here in BP unfortunately, but looking to change that)
I can say HomeVestors is not for everyone and certainly pros and cons but from my opinion the value of the brand, their ability to target QUALITY leads, and also hard money lending arm make the costs very appropriate. Ive seen someone throw away 7k on marketing that got them 0 calls...thats expensive. With us, at least theres a track record for leads per ad spend, so not a shot in the dark.
The reality is we have franchises that come in at all stages of success in the industry and all different backgrounds. We work together as a cohesive team in order to thrive in this difficult industry. Some prevail, and some fail.
More than happy to discuss if anyone is interested. I'd certainly tell you the good and bad and let you decided if its a fit for you.