One other thought, and not trying to scare you, but Boas are aggressive eaters. I've had to protect both my Boas by putting drapes up in front of their enclosures to keep them from striking at the doors when they see movement (at night mostly). They also strike their prey items (F/T) with a gusto I haven't seen in either of my two pythons (BP and Carpet) and rival if not surpass my corn snakes. Boas are large and powerful snakes and even my 400G 2 year old Dwarf BCC strikes harder than any other snake I have except maybe Behira (my 3 1/2 year old female BI). I've been feeding F/T prey on tongs to snakes for 20 years +, but am newer to Boas. I still jump every time any of my snakes strike (). However, the Boas are not for the faint of heart. Having said that, I am not worried about getting bit. Between 2 FT tongs and the Boas good aim, I am okay with that, it just shocks me every time.
I agree with Bogertophis here that you should definitely hold a larger BI to see if it's for you. I've held several adult female BI's (15-20 pounds and about 7ft each) and found them surprisingly docile and easy to handle. However, not for everyone. Additionally, I am sure they pack quite the punch when striking at prey.
I think you should definitely hook train any boa so as not be confused with food. We can help if you are not sure how to do that.
I am planning on getting another Boa (BI) soon and seriously considering a male even though I have a 6X2X1' that can accommodate a female. Not sure how many adult female BI's I want.
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