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I'm just starting the process myself so I'm no expert, but here are my answers.
1) Age isn't as important as where you are in your life. Besides what others have said..... One thing to consider might be at what age your friends are having children. No, you shouldn't have children just because your friends are, but for me I think having friends with children around the same age is beneficial. Another thing to look at is possible wait times. So if you are looking at adopting internationally and the wait for a referal is 2 years then really you may want to start for example when you are 28 if you would like to have a child when you are 30 instead of starting at 30.
2) Varies a ton depending on the program. I'm doing my homestudy now for a baby or toddler from Honduras. The estimate is about 2 and a half years but the program is unpredictable and could take longer.
3) There aren't a lot of International programs accepting singles for young children right now. This might also matter for question number 1. Hopefully more countries will reopen for inter-country adoption in the future which might be important when considering when to adopt.
4) No, you are not mean for requesting a healthy child. At least I hope not because that is what I'm doing. I really think it would be worse to accept a child with special needs because you think it is the "right thing to do" if you don't feel ready to care for a special needs child at this point in your life.
Good luck!
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