I studied hardwood flooring a lot when we wanted to put some in our kitchen. Here is what I found: On damp concrete the only stable alternative is engineered. For ours we chose a 1/4 inch thick cork subflooring under the engineered wood to make it less susceptible to imperfections in our existing subflooring. It also makes standing less tiring. We chose a true sharp edged right angle joining because we didn't want to worry about kitchen droppings catching in the groves (bevils). That is harder to manufacture I understand so most makers prefer to use a bevil to hide minor imperfections. We went with a glued together joint floating system because that was what the Harris Tarkette line we chose recommended. We went with hickory because it is harder than oak and we occasionally drop stuff on the floor. The high end line we chose is finished in a lifetime or 50 year finish that has aluminum oxide hardener dissolved in the finish which is a blend of urethane and acrylic. That really has minimized abrasive wear. The only problem we have had other than an inexperienced installer is the bottle of super glue that got knocked over on it and no one realized it until after it had dried. Made horrible spots that I have had to use a razor scraper on to remove and I removed the finish in places. No fault of the floor. From what I read, the Harris Tarkett company fell on hard times and has started making shoddier engineered wood flooring. There is a site on the net where all flooring lines are discribed and rated and I will look it up of I have it bookmarked for you. I can't mention it on this site but if you will pm me I will be glad to let you know.

In a 700 sq ft condo, I would strongly recommend you stick with 1 type of wood floor for the whole thing. Flooring changes can make any area look chopped up, and that is especially true of small spaces. As for what would sell better - it is hard to predict trends 5 years out. Bamboo is gaining in popularity, so it could be "the thing to have" by that point. Who knows? What I do know is that either all maple or all bamboo who appeal to more buyers than a mix of the 2.

Below is the manufacture's description of this product which serves all the purposes of engineered and solid wood floor. For qbryant's situation, you could nail down this floor on the upper level and glue or float it on slab of lower level. "The Solid Engineered hardwood flooring with a total thickness of 3/4" and a 5mm sawn hardwood face is built to endure any interior condition and are meant to last a lifetime! This winner beats every solid wood flooring and shows a much better stability (up to 75% reduction of shrinkage and expansion) while thick wearlayer rivals any solid floors. This manufacturer uses the most stable construction. 3-ply design, with a solid sawn hardwood face, core and back creates a balanced product that stands up to the toughest environments worldwide. Installation is applicable in any living level, under a more broad range of moisture conditions and warranted over radiant heat."

I am def. more attracted to the cool browns and I understand the upkeep will be a bit more then a light color. The reason as to why I want the browns is due to going with gray cabinets. My other option for hard maple is the following: http://www.preverco.com/en/product/hard-maple-komodo The in-store sample seemed to have a ashy/faded look and that made me side with the same color in yellow birch since it was a bit darker. @Coutour Floor Company I really dislike the red/orange tone. @Cancork Floor the bruce maple was def. my first choice but I agree that high gloss will show alot of dust. Along with little to no information for that flooring and oddly only home depot sells that finish. Out of all the samples I looked at I always keep coming back to the browns. Would you have any other suggestions on either browns or other options that would contrast with Gray cabinets and most likely a white counter top? My budget is around $6/sqft. max. Thanks for replying!