Pay the most attention to the things that will cost the most if they break/fail - roof, foundation, water heater, furnace/AC. Do not rely on a home inspector for these things, get specialists. Determine how old these components are and when they will likely have to be replaced.

Spend several days, maybe even a week, casing the neighborhood once you find something you like. Look at quality of vehicles and yards, traffic patterns, walkability. Check it out at different times of day and listen to what sounds you hear. Gauge for proximity to railroads and highways. Find out if there are public works projects slated for that area (new roads, power stations/lines, etc.). Talk to neighbors and ask what they do and don't like about the area.

Make a list of things to check in and outside of the house by looking at a bunch of "what to check for when you're buying a house" type of articles. There are lots of good tips for checking if the floors are level, finding hidden problems, etc. E.g., in my case specifically, liberal use of air fresheners should have been a huge red flag. We had to pull up an entire floor's worth of carpeting because the previous owners had used them to cover up pet urine smells.

Hope that helps.