And, no matter which home (even the one you are in now) you choose to buy, be sure you get a thorough home inspection before you sign any contracts.

Do you like the house you are in even with a leaky roof or is that the straw that broke the buyers back and all you do is daydream about getting out? A roof can be fixed.

@Donald its complicated I guess in that we got married under the magnolia tree in the yard and I've lost $2000 in personal artwork because the garage flooded and at the time we didn't have any rental insurance.
joy and pain. . .

Google Magnolia Cutting--lots of information about how to take a branch from your "wedding" tree and turn it into a new tree at your new home. Then step back emotionally; a home purchase should primarily be a financial decision. What do you need? What can you afford? What is the best option in your market at your price point? Do some research to get those questions answered, then make your decision.

We’ve done the market research and there just isn’t that much out there at all right now. If we buy this house the first thing that has to happen is renovating and correcting the roof in this room. (Separate flat roof, so not the entire house.)

Im anxious about what would come with a new house since repairs will be up to me to manage since my husband travels for his job.

I'm not clear if "market research" includes actually going through the process of physically looking at homes on the market, but I would start there. If you're ready to buy a house, you should shop around just like you would for any other large purchase. Just looking online does not always give you a true sense of a house so it's important to actually physically look at homes on the market. If you find another house that you want, you should have a professional home inspection done that should help fill you in on what might be wrong with the house. A good inspector will look at roof, windows, HVAC, appliances, plumbing, electrical, the works. Any home is going to require maintenance over time, but a home inspection means you aren't going in completely blind.

If you determine that the house you have been renting is the right house for you, follow the same procedure you would in buying any other house: write up a contract that includes due diligence period where you can have a professional inspection done. You probably know many of the problems with the house, but even living in a house does not mean you know everything wrong with it. Get a quote from several roofers so that you know exactly what it is going to cost to replace the roof. If you want to buy this house and you already know the roof needs replacement, you should go into the buying process informed about what the project will cost you.

Best advice you have gotten here is to contact a realtor or two. I would ask about the inventory, the local market and if they are seeing any large swings. I would also want to know why is the house being offered for sale at this time? Is the priced as there would be a savings of realtors fees? Would the seller be willing to fix the roof or offer a roofing allowance? Have you had the home inspected with buyers eyes; hvac, foundation, appliances etc? Most importantly can you fit the payment, taxes, insurance, maintenance and improvements into your budget? If this is your first home purchase I implore you to ask someone you know and trust about this? We have all made mistakes when purchasing homes and most of us are willing to tell our stories to assist others in avoiding pit falls.

Do all the things already suggested PLUS get at least 3 roofing estimates. Negotiate for the seller to deduct at least half of the highest price for a new roof. Your lender won't give you a mortgage if the roof is bad and your home insurer will charge you a higher premium.

chiflipper, that is a great point about the roof. We bought a property to renovate paid for a one year policy at closing four months later we received a letter giving us 30 days to replace the roof or they could cancel us. No matter that they has seen the roof, we were awaiting permit and that the roof was covered with snow. We were able to deal with this prevail, but it could, be an issue for sure.

Any home u buy could have a potential problem in the future, so if u really like this house and want it, have an inspection done on it and base ur offer on the things u know it needs. Home buying is stressful n they often need something done, even new homes can present a problem after u move in. Good luck. :).