Hello christensen,
Thank you for your interest in vBulletin.
To start with the hosting, yes vBulletin doesn't offer a hosted solution, so you would need to find a host. At the Official vBulletin support forums at
www.vbulletin.com/forums you will find a forum dedicated on helping other members selecting the best hosting option.
The look and feel of your board can be simply changed if you have some basic HTML knowledge.
A licensed member has the option to ask for help by other members if they get stuck. Also do we provide a forum where you ca post a request for paid help if needed.