I'd get a few repair estimates, take the average, and ask the seller to lower the agreed upon price by that amount. I'd hire some licensed, bonded, and insured contractors to do the work to ensure that the seller won't just hire the cheapest jokers s/he can find to do the work. That way you get the best of both worlds: you'll get work done that you know is insurable, and you won't have to eat that loss upfront.

You could request that the Seller replace the roof , so that it can be insured. Or you could find out who their insurance is with, or you could share the cost of the roof with the sellers.

Always ask, but be prepared for a refusal. If this home is already discounted or this condition was disclosed, then accept it or walk away. BTW, roofing over wood shingles was not approved after 1994 in most of these United States. What's up with that?

My best piece of advice would be to ask the seller to pay for the roof or part of it. Hopefully your Realtor put in the contract contingent upon buyer recieveing financing. If you can't get it insured you can't get financing. If you are unable to pay to have the roof fixed yourself then you may be able to get the sellers to pay for the fix so that they can sell the house.

If you are still in the 10 days for inspections and TRR and you were my client i would ask for the roof to be replaced at sellers expense.

I wish you the best of luck, If you have any other questions or concerns don't hesititae to ask.

Dean Schrock
405-714-4090
dean.schrock@gmail.com