If others in your neighborhood grow Bermuda, and it seems to do well there, then yours should too. With lots of sun, tall fescue will also work, which I personally prefer over Bermuda. It's less invasive, stays green all year when healthy, and because it grows long puts down a deeper root system. It also looks really nice when "striped." It's been many years since I researched Bermuda, but my memory tells me that it's pretty difficult to grow from seed, albeit not as hard as Zoysia. Fescue is easy to sow, though I wouldn't do it until the fall. Your plan of cutting short, topdressing, sedding, topdressing sounds viable to me. I would add compost (I like Black Kow) to the topdressing as well. You should also press the seed into the soil. The flat side of a garden rake works fine for relatively small lawns, although you'll want to rent a roller for anything of real size. Good luck.

dina, Morning sun, afternoon shade is fine. It is part sun. It is a native to the East coast of the USA. It naturally grows under trees, and receives sun through them. When you plant it, mulch it. It's getting hot here and I would water it every day for a week so it roots in alright. FIne shrub you have there. Oh, by the way, it suckers really bad, so if it does take for you, keep and eye out for babies. Congrats. In South Carolina its known as Sweet Shrub, or Bubby Bush.

I'd keep it in the pot until next spring. It's getting close to bloom time, and it's not a good idea to divide a grass while it's blooming. Be sure to either sink the pot in the ground or bring it into an unheated space for winter, and water it through winter. Another option would be to plant the whole grass now, and then dig and divide it at haircut time next spring.

I do the gardens, dear husband does the lawn. This place might be more help. Here is a link that might be useful: Lawn forum