I am no Charles but I can share my experience...
I bought my ‘92 D-35 in 1999 with a seam separation just like that. The shop I bought it from was a Martin dealer and repair center, so they had repaired it before I ever walked in the door. The shop disclosed this and had marked it down accordingly. Still going strong with no issues 21 years later.
On mine, they did not do the full finish repair, as when I scrape a fingernail sideways across the seam, my fingernail will feel it. But mechanically/sound wise? No problems.
For you, it comes down to just how “discounted” it is. If you ever decide to sell it, it will have to be disclosed and discounted accordingly, but if you are getting it for a good price, you could still come out not losing anything on it. And, if you really love the guitar, who cares about resale? You will hear some say, “I would NEVER buy a guitar with that when there are so many perfect ones out there.” For someone like Charles, this is a common and straightforward job. As he said, a proper repair will be “good as new.” Again, as long as YOU are willing to take into account the discount - on both ends, buying and later selling - it could be a good deal for you.
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