Great points and advice, everyone, thanks so much!
Let me digress just a little bit on a topic thats come up in the thread a few times: age. I have been focused (but not dead set) on subadults and even adults b/c, well, i'm impatient. I want a big boa, boas grow slowly, BCC's even more slowly, and i'm certainly not going to overfeed to try and speed it up. I always think of my kids as the excuse. I have young kids and so a large portion of my life is dedicated tracking their growth and developmental milestones and imagining/dreading what they will be like when they are older. I guess, since my pets are my comfort, i just sort of want the pet that i want, not the one that will be the one i want after years of dedication and care.
Ranting a little bit here, and like i said, i may very well opt for a neonate when all is said and done, but i wanted to throw that out there and see what y'all thought.

Also, SAUZO, my Irwin is the same way, super easy-going. In the beginning i was sure my kid was going to get tagged, like all the time, its as if he's magnetically drawn to the snake's face, but Irwin just lets it all slide, never puffs or hisses, rarely even takes a defensive posture. I handle him quite a bit, so i'm sure that helps, but when first talking to the breeder, she specifically told me that he was notably calmer than his siblings, the "chillest" she said. He was just shy of 2 when i got him (21 months), and although i think he's become more accustomed or "fond" of me over time, from the very first day i knew he was going to be a cool customer.