Getting My First Snake! Some Questions

[snickersnack]

Hi everyone! I've been lurking here and some other reptile sites for about a week in preparation for getting my first snake. I'm really excited, and a ball python seems like the perfect snake for me! I definitely want my snake to be as comfortable and healthy as possible, and thanks to the helpful posts I've found online I think I know how to so: I've ordered a double thermometer/hygrometer, a heat mat, and a good thermostat, and plan to set up a sterilite bin with 2 homemade hides, water bowl, and paper towel or aspen. I plan to make/setup the bin a day or so before i have the snake, and let the snake adjust for about a week before feeding/handling it.

So now my concern is where to get the snake itself--I'm not looking to breed, but I do want a healthy, friendly animal bred by someone who knows what they're doing. I just want a normal due to budget concerns (I don't want to pay more than ~$75 including transit) and because I think they're beautiful. There's a reptile show today in my area today but I work weekends and can't attend and I don't want to wait another couple months for the next one. So I'm looking to online breeders or breeders I can drive to (I use zipcar, and renting a car to drive to a breeder would probably cost about the same as overnight shipping).

I have a ton of questions, if anyone's interested in answering even one or a couple it'd be a huge help!!

#1 how can I tell a good breeder from a sub-par one?
#2 are big online reptile sites worth it? If I go for one of these I'm leaning towards BHB reptiles because I've been watching some of their youtube vids and they seem to run an honest business and really care about their animals--but does anyone have personal experience with them?
#3 how much should I expect to pay for a normal hatchling?
#4 how big is a "hatchling" anyway and what size/kind of rodent do they eat? Is it worth it to buy bulk frozen food for just one snake? What's a good place to get feeder rodents?
#5 what should a good breeder tell me about the snake--age, what they were feeding it? or will i just get the animal with no info?
#6 I see there's a sale section on this forum! How can I go about finding an affordable snake through here? Do most people ship or prefer pickup? are there other sites I should check out where smaller-scale breeders sell their snakes?

Thanks a million everyone!