I was thinking about rooting my Note 2 but I applied the latest (Verizon) OTA update so now I'm not sure if I can.
You can still root and/or unlock the bootloader. They've released an updated exploit.
And yes, I root all mine phones at the very least. I originally rooted my Note 2 only, then ended up flashing a modified/improved TW based rom and it's been better so far.
Why don't Google host the stock images for Nexus 4? That's another thing that makes me hesitant to root my Nexus 4. They've got images for all other Nexus devices.
Cool, so is the guide (and the linked files) on XDA up to date for unlocking the Verizon model?