Can you help me figure out how to fix this roof?

Hi Anna, sorry you are dealing with such a unfinished job. I would call the owner and ask him or her to get this fixed. I don't believe it will pass an inspection if you want to buy it. Good luck.

Exactly, need to get it finished prior to buying it. Not your responsibility.

Holy Jesus Christ! Somebody did a patch job trying to fix leaks. No roofer would do that kind of work. Make sure the buyer repairs it. It should be in the contract before you buy. Let your lawyer and realtor know. It's not your responsibility. By the looks of it in the photo it needs a complete new roof. Shingles not even and flat. Separations at the peak. All that tar on the left I assume is chimney flashing. There may even be damage to the roof deck. Have a home inspection before you buy. The roof will fail. Who knows what else the inspector will find. Cost of a new roof can be upwards of $10,000 +.

Wow, my friend - ditto to everyone else's comments. THANK YOU for asking now!!!

You definitely need an entire roof replacement - which should be in the sales contract. But who knows what else might be wrong??? If you actually decide to got through with the sale and buy this home, make sure you get some recommendations and hire the best home inspector you can find. I'm guessing the owner's insurance company is going to have a fit at how they've let this property go. If they give you much flak about it, you would be better off finding another home to buy - no matter the money. A poorly maintained home will both give you nightmares and cost you way more in the long run. Best of luck.

This is not something you should fix. The roof shingles need to be fully removed and the underlayment/sheathing and deck needs to be inspected for rot and then, quite probably, replaced along with those shingles. I would also inspect all the fascia boards for rot and replace as needed. This is a job for a professional roofer---not a fix that you should have to take upon yourself before purchasing a house. If the seller doesn't agree to a new roof or cut the price to pay for a complete new roof, then I would walk away. Good luck!

Thank you all. That’s what I was afraid of. It’s a complicated situation as my aunt owns the home and we were supposed to do a rent to own, however after two and a half years, we don’t have an agreement.

Not complicated at all. Family is family for get togethers. This is business and any relations should not affect or be considered in such a major investment. It should be treated as if you were buying the home from a stranger. This home can eat you up and cause a rift in the family. If you do plan to go forward have a good real estate attorney and definitely a home inspection before signing any agreement.

Oy vey!

Agree with William that if you are intending to invest any money into this structure, you need to ensure that any 'agreements' are legally documented by a qualified real estate lawyer. Otherwise there will be nothing in place to protect you from being taken advantage of and gyped out of your money.

Family, or non-family, exercise your right to protect yourself and your home.

In my opinion it is not a big problem and it can be easily repaired, but I think that it is better to change another roof because I see that it is too old, so the best solution is to change and to clean it entirely. When I bought a villa not far from the city where I am living in, I called my friend that works for www.roofingprotx.com in order to consult and to see what is better to do with the roof. So he suggested me to change it entirely because the wood was rotten and the slate plates on the top could considerably harm our family's health.