[hharney]

I moved your post to the general messages so that more members would see it here.

I would first take a look at the log books with a good A&P, preferably a mechanic with some Skymaster experience but even just twin Cessna experience would be ok. You can access all the AD's on the FAA website and the A&P can use his favorite program to access the AD list for air frame and engines. If the log books got a green light then it would be time to do one of two things:
1. Take the mechanic to the airplane for the pre-buy inspection
2. Achieve new registration from the FAA and get a ferry permit to fly it to a good Skymaster knowledgeable facility for the pre-buy inspection.

Based on the inspection make your offer for the airplane knowing that in the next few annuals there is going to be many items that will need to be replaced or repaired. I would figure that it could easily cost you $10-12k per annual for at least the next couple annuals. Then there is avionics, paint and interior to think about. Avionics will cost $20k, paint is $12-15k and a nice interior is $10k. Now go look at other Skymasters that are flying with all that already done and you might find that a nice $75k Skymaster is really not that expensive.

Just my thoughts and they could change next time I post :-) Welcome to the site and good luck in your search