A basic guitar setup is pretty easy to do yourself. Essentially you're just checking the neck straightness, string height, and intonation and then adjusting the truss rod and the saddles as necessary. If you do things methodically and in the correct order it's quite easy and effective. Here's a simple guide:
https://shop.monikerguitars.com/wp-c...SetupGuide.pdf
You can get away without the action gauge if you don't have one; just set it as low or high as you like as long as you don't have any fret buzz.
As for acoustics, it really comes down to taste and budget. If money was no object I'd go for a Santa Cruz or a Martin, but in terms of value it's hard to beat something like Simon & Patrick. It's pretty crazy that they can produce a fully solid wood (i.e. no laminated back and sides) made in Canada guitar for under $700. They have a range of models from $350-$1400 and all are excellent value for the price.