Dell XPS and Lenovo X1 Carbon are the best laptops for running Linux. I currently have an AMD Framework and, while it’s nice that it’s repairable, Linux support is crap compared to the XPS and X1. I was actually looking into selling this junk Framework laptop and buying an X1 Carbon.
For sure use Tailscale for VPN. They have apps for iPhone, Android, macOS, and Linux, so setting up your own personal network will be easy. Hosting on the real internet is definitely advanced and not always necessary.