Heff,
If you are maintenance technically minded, I'm sure that your building a good relationship with a suitably qualified maintenance inspector would result in your being able to do some of the work, and saving some money while you learn. If, however, your objective is to "get around" having to hire a qualified maintainer, you're probably pointed the wrong direction.
Having a list of items which must be inspected at a given interval is one thing, but having the capability and facilities to do the inspecting, and knowing what you have to look for when you get into it, is rather vital. If you don't know if you know it, you don't.
A qualified inspector is well worth what you have to pay him. A maintenance shortcoming can become very expensive and inconvenient in a short time, and never at the right time!
As you mention that you are considering the purchase of an aircraft. You are (I sure hope) making plans to have thorough pre-purchase inspection done by an objective inspector. That inspection should be much more detailed than a 50 hour check. Overseeing that inspection will provide you with an insight as to what a detailed inspection includes, but will not in, and of itself, be your one stop inspection, setting you on your path to self accomplished maintenance.
Bear in mind that in the real world of safe aircraft ownership, the inspection items and pass/fail criteria are per type of aircraft and its equipment, not the basis of its registry. The fact that an aircraft is registered as a "permit" aircraft should not be seen as an opportunity to do less maintenance. Safe is safe, the laws of physics, mechanics, airworthiness and gravity don't care how the aircraft is registered!
It costs money to fly, there's just no way around doing properly...
Pilot DAR - aircraft owner/maintainer/pilot