I recently recommended my best roofer and leak fixer for a project that would not interfere with my projects.  

With your contractor during the walk-through or over lunch, make a list of all common repairs and get an average price per square foot.Ie, carpet is $4 per sf including installationRefinishing hardwoods is $x per square footI think roofers usually quote by the "square"....which means a 10'x10' section of roof (100sf).  

One thought I had was just to talk with them about needing a roofer for future work and wanting to find somebody we can trust.

I am having a roofer come through next week to give me an estimate on the roof repair/replacement.The house is listed at 25000I assume there will be 8-12k in repairsI estimate the ESP to be 45kThe way that I anticipate to make the money back is through holding the property.  

Roofers love to say our roofs are bad so the landfills can be filled... be sure to get some second opinions.  

I know I need to get a roofer to take a look before any final decision but I wanted to get the wisdom of BP as well.

I went to see it w/ my contractor and while there a roofer, who my contractor sometimes subs work out to shows up at the property as a buyer.  

You may also want to have a roofer/your own roofer look at it and see if they have the same opinion.  

That said, ultimately I went with the roofer's recommendation, which was that that roof was beyond repair and had to be replaced.

Since the rehab work required might vary by the property - it's hard to know if you need a roofer, or a handyman or general contractor etc.