Ponds are actually require less maintenance when they have more volume. Don't put a pond on low ground, in a wet spot or other area where runoff from rain will interfere with it. Don't put a pond under a tree with poisonous nuts or berries. Don't put a pond on ground that is unstable or shifting. Try to put a pond in a fenced in area or that is protected from small children.
Ponds can go in sun or in shade.
Natural slopes that lend themselves to an incline for a waterfall are also good. Fish eat mosquito larvae. Ponds with fish stay pretty mosquito-free. The pond attracts wildlife of all kinds, but it doesn't attract wildlife that your neighborhood did not have before. If you see a snake, raccoon, possum, deer or anything else, it was in your area already.