As well as asking folks here about their experience with RTB's (many here have mixed collections that include them), looking up reputable breeders websites is always a great thing. Many have caresheets, FAQ's and that sort of information available to help inform and educate their customers.

Just from a personal perspective, we adore our BCI. We fostered a 6 foot plus one for awhile and now have a male that's coming on 2 years old (our son's snake actually). Severus is simply a joy to keep. Has never indicated a willingness to bite, hisses so rarely it's basically a non-issue with him. Never a refusal, not at all picky about his prey (he currently eats live small rats), never a regurge or any sign of illness and not as easily stressed by handling as some other snake species. Eats, sheds, poops right on schedule and with little muss or fuss about it. Basically a lovely calm snake to watch tv with LOL.

Like any snake you need to do your research and set them up properly. Also it's wise to purchase from a good breeder and get a well started baby boa. Because boa's have large, live litters you tend to see pet stores flooded with cheap baby boas this time of year. This can be a problem as they generally aren't properly sexed, may not have even eaten their first meal and you've got zip for health or feeding history on them.

Also if you prefer it to stay a bit smaller, than a male is the way to go as females of this species can get to a pretty darn good size (not unmanageable by any means but an 8 to 9 foot heavy female boa is an impressive snake nonetheless). At some point you'll need to plan for a decently large and secure cage and smart feeding methods, as at maturity these are very strong snakes with a long strike range when feeding.

We adore our ball pythons, but the house would seem empty without a boa (or two) in it.