Considering buying a pool, need advice

[babzog]

First time poster!

I've been resisting getting a pool thinking the maintenance would just be a pain to deal with. With the recent heat wave, I'm seriously reconsidering that (maybe a bit of vacuuming and water testing isn't so bad after all). Funds are tight, so I'm only looking at used pools on kijiji (new is utterly out of the question - $$ not available and boss will not approve any misdirection of funds to this purpose). Think I found a nice one (4' x 24') with a new (in box) liner for just a few hundred dollars. Comes with Hayworth filter, 1.5HP pump, ladder, cleaning brush & hose and is dismantled for pickup.

I would like to set it up with a saltwater chlorinator.

Questions:

1. What should I watch out for when picking up the pool - primarily anything that should tell me to walk away. As well, anything that I should inspect and possibly replace prior to setup.

2. What corrosion problems might I run into if I want to use a saltwater system? I've heard that some pools might be more susceptible to corrosion than others.

3. Site prep. Area is mostly flat, but is grass/weeds (like most rural lawns) and thus will need some prep. I've got a sand pile (an accumulation of glacial flour) a few hundred yards behind the house that I can access in order to build up / level the site. What else should I consider for site prep? Can the pool frame just sit on the sand or does it need to be on something more easily drained, sturdy, etc?

4. Can I make a "deep spot" in the center? How deep can I reasonably go?

5. Lining the bottom with foam. Thinking it might protect the liner a bit and eliminate the need for fussy leveling of sand. Anyone done this and have suggestions?

6. There are trees very nearby (< 20'). Other than cutting (which I'm not opposed to, other than having to pay a pro to drop them as they'd land on the house if things went wrong), suggestions for mitigating the inevitable leaf problem?