a) The owner checked in frequently to make sure everything was going okay.
b) The house is a the back half of a house on the canal. As such, we didn't have access to the deck at the front of the house.
c) The living/dining area is one large room. The seating consisted of: 1) two stools, 2) a straight-back upholstered chair, 3) two dining chairs with very low backs that made them uncomfortable if you leaned back in them, and 4) a huge day bed. I mean, huge. It dwarfed everything else in the room. But, having said that, we actually stretched out on it quite a bit while relaxing in the house. It was quite comfortable.
d) The canal area in which the house is located is historic, and in many cases, quite beautiful. The house is a short walk (<0.5 miles) from the Venice Beach boardwalk in one direction and Abbot Kinney street (lots of nice shops and dining options) in the other.
e) We found a lot of the area shopping/dining options on our own. There aren't any guides in the house.