I like Steve's breeder very much, as a "dog person" and as just a person. I don't expect we'll be BFFs, but I don't think I'd buy a puppy from someone I didn't like. There's too much riding on that relationship, imo. I want somebody I trust and can turn to should an issue arise, somebody I feel comfortable with.
I don't have a problem with purpose-bred mixes. I do have a problem with lousy breeding, and sorry, but that's the impression I get from the cockapoo site (not to mention being classified as a class four kennel- that's a lot of puppies). And IMO, anyone who says they've never had a genetic issue in one of their puppies in nine years is either not looking, not asking, or lying. Genetic issues happen even to excellent breeders. One of the things I appreciated about my emails back and forth with Steve's breeder before I bought him was that when I asked about seizures in her lines she said yes, there was one dog who seizured (distant relative to Stevie) and that yes, Steve's grandpa did sire a severely dysplastic puppy. But as he's sired mostly sound puppies, I'm willing to take the risk of that one puppy.