Okay , i have posted here a couple of times before , and now after once again returning from Berlin a few weeks ago i have decided it is the place i would like to live .
This might be an extensive request , but i have run into a sort of brickwall . I have about 50% of people i know there tell me to move there for sure , the other 50% , are are hesitant to agree with that idea .
So , here is my question , and hopefully someone can give me a bit better insight ...

1. If i decide to pick up and leave the U.S. , what would be good advice for showing up . What i mean is i obviously won't have my millions of things ( books , music , furniture ) with me at the time , so as far as having money , etc. What would be realistic to be sure to have when i arrive ?

2. getting work . of course no one has the answer for this . realistically it's up to me . but what would be the process as far as work visas etc. what do i ned to look for ? how " realistic" is it to find a job as a native English speaker ( i'm not opposed to teaching english ) . i know unemployment is fairly high in Berlin , but i'm optimistic . Plus , i know i won't realistically find a job via the internet until i actually arrive in Berlin . So , i know i will be unemployed probably a little while .

3. visas . what do i need ? obviously the whole work visa thing is still a bit hazy to me . residency visa ? i also read something about proof of health insurance... is that insurance here ( in the U.S. ) or is there something there i need to look for ?

I'm just trying to find someone who went through the whole process as a non-EU citizen . I'm very excited to possibly have the opportunity to live in Berlin . But i am a bit wary still at this point . I don't want to show up , work a few weeks/months then realize i did something wrong and get sent back to the U.S. I am a full time musician here , and have toured in Europe several times and would like to continue my creative processes in Berlin ... But i would like to do it more " legally " than just wandering around hoping for the best .
Any advice or opinions would be great . Thanks in advance .
C.