Focus on the bones of the house. Does it have all the major things that you want that would be very difficult to add later? Make a no-compromise list, as in you wouldn't buy the house if it didnt have x, y, or z. My list was having a crawl space vs. A slab, wood burning fireplace, deck and then of course the number of rooms and bathrooms which you pretty much know what you need. For some people, gas service is a huge deal. Or being on city water/sewer vs. Septic and well.
Do NOT focus on cosmetic things. Does it look pretty? Who cares...ugly is cheaper, and you can make it pretty for low cost. I'm having my kitchen cabinets painted as we speak with sanders and everything else actively humming in the background. If you dont like the way something looks, you can change it for relatively little cost, but you cant add a 3 car garage for less than a thousand dollars, that's more like $15k at least or more.
Decide your non-negotiables, buy the house based on that, and commit to making the improvements on a reasonable schedule and budget. You can even negotiate for some of that cosmetic stuff as part of your deal. Our agent told us, leave the nasty carpet and crappy wood flooring in place and offer a credit to a buyer for new flooring of their choice instead of us spending money to make it how we want it, only for a potential buyer to walk in and say "oh that's gotta go", let them have the option to make it how they want it and include it as part of the deal. As a buyer, you hold that card so use it to your advantage.
I also know you have nearby family, so if you have a contact for a real estate agent you can trust, use that to your advantage. Don't just pick the first scheister to take your call and take them at their word.
