If the property is bleeding money every year from repairs, maintenance, or turn over you'll never get ahead.You can tap equity with a HELOC (challenging right now), cash-out refinance into a new loan (much higher rates), 1031 exchange, or sell (tax hit) but the numbers and property condition need to guide this decision.

I got free repair estimates (inspections) from two roofing companies.  

Roof was flashed and repaired in May.

There has been such a journey with renovations and the person repairing the property, but hey!

So my plan is to use the equity in my own home for the downpayment and for the repairs and take out a conventional mortgage for the house itself.

Is this a low number for both vacancy and repairs? 

Those repairs will never get done.

Another part of the problem is the landlords themselves; the landlords buy low income housing for cash flow, and if the property needs repairs, maintenance, capital improvements, they’re reluctant to “upset” their expected cash flow by investing in the property.  

You would have a much easier permitting process if the work were to repair vs. go with new.  

Your lender most likely requires you to occupy within 30 days of purchase, so make the seller remove them so you have time to clean/repair after closing.