Craigslist you have a fairly high probability of getting an animal that's in way worse shape than you bargained for and not being prepared for it as a beginner. If it has a respiratory infection, you suddenly have a way more expensive and sick snake. Skip this. It's best for experienced people that know what they might be getting into.
Rescue - a good one will be giving you a snake in good health - not a bad way to go. These guys can live a very long time, so you'd likely still be able to have decades with it even if the snake is an adult. It also doesn't come with the risk of attitude problems like rescue dogs can - ball pythons are almost all docile and tend to adapt pretty well once secure. The jerk ball python presumably exists but is vanishingly rare.
As far as enclosures go - a nice pvc or similar cage such as animal plastics' if you have the money to throw at it, plastic tub if not. You can still see the animal just fine in a tub, just the tub doesn't look pretty. Thermostat is priority #1 to throw money at. ~$100 for a nice herpstat or similar is the most important investment to make.
Adults are easier to start with, but babies are not so difficult that you need to avoid getting one as your first if that's what you really want. They'll generally be more scared and you'll be able to handle them less until they get bigger. They naturally chill out as they get older and larger since less things can eat them.
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