"This one might seem like a no-brainer to some people, if it looks like crap, don't buy it.  Hold yer horses!  Not everyone is out for the same thing in a house and if the location is more important to you than the condition of the property, sometimes ugly houses are just the thing to get you where you want to be!  If you're handy, or know some one who is, and are thinking that a "fixer upper" is the right choice for you, I'm all about it.  In fact, I bought my first home in the area years ago, fixed it up myself, and made quite a bit when I sold it 3 years later, so that was the right choice for me. (I can totally help you do the same thing, just ask.)  "