[cabmandone]

Matt,
Word of warning! The system I describe in my reply to DerkPerk is not cheap. The equipment alone would cost a consumer something north of 15K. I personally prefer a fully modulating furnace because it's capable of load matching. That means if the home only needs 20,000 btu, the furnace operates at 20,000 btu. It's definitely not the cheapest option. My next choice would be a 2 stage furnace. Reason being if the home doesn't require full output, it'll operate at low fire to satisfy the call for heat. I don't have any real issue with a single stage furnace, I just like the energy savings that come from load matching.

Most complaints related to a heat pump boil down to the vent temps. If a chair is placed near a register, a person might feel a cool breeze.

I would make sure that whatever I buy qualifies for the energy efficiency tax credit. If considering a heat pump, I'd check with my electric provider about rebates. Mine offers a rebate for upgrading my heat pump and a $100 rebate for a smart thermostat if the stat is energy star certified. Only damn thing not Energy Star certified on my system is the $500 system control.