Brian,
Best advice I can give you is.....if you are not an A&P, buy the BEST plane you can afford. Don't try to save money by buying something less expensive and thinking you'll "fix it up over time". Doing so will only cost you MUCH more in a surprisingly short amount of time. If you think you'd like to do a loop and roll now and then, take the time NOW to find yourself a nice Aerobat. Have an affinity for taildraggers? BUY ONE! Think you'll crave extra horsepower? Find a good 150/150!
I'll let others talk about the importance of a pre-buy inspection and how to get that done.
