First of all I dislike the way dealers/GCs give tier pricing to new homeowners for new construction. No transparency. It is meaningless without complete model numbers. I will assume your new home will have excellent top of line building/insulation qualities. It should. If going all electric and that seems to be the better choice than paying for expensive propane even in a DF system, I would want a HP system that has electronic demand defrost. Correct sizing is important. Hard to believe you would need a 3 ton system unless it was 2 stage.

I don't care for any of the HP brands listed in your post.

Here is my general minimum spec sheet.

Here is my general spec sheet for new system.both outside and inside units should be replaced to have a properly matched system.

15 SEER, 12.5+ EER, 9 HSPF

best matching VS air handler

Full BTUs in both cooling and heating for your rated size

R-410a refrigerant(same as Puron)

scroll compressor preferred

electronic demand defrost preferred

thermostat with "dehumidify on demand" feature

staged backup heat strips

new and correctly sized refrigerant lineset

10 yr warranty on parts and compressor

My personal recommendation is Trane/AmStd or if interested in Carrier Greenspeed and Bryant Extreme HP for their higher 12 HSPF heating efficiency. Pricey though.

Depending on your location, I would not purchase a new system that did not have electronic demand defrost.

IMO

3 ton sounds oversized for 1600 square feet. I hope they will be doing a load calc.

New construction needs to have a load calculation. There is no excuse not to do one.

The upgrade to 2X6 construction for $2700 is something to consider. Is there an upgrade option for the attic insulation? This would be important for a ranch style house. I would put money towards better insulation before investing in more efficient equipment.

You need to have the complete model numbers of the upgraded equipment choices in order to make a decision. Builders will usually install the cheapest the equipment they can find and try to impress the buyer with SEER numbers. Ask a lot of questions and understand what your are buying.

A lot depends on the construction of the house. There is less gain in spending a lot of coin on a super-efficient heat pump if the home is super-tight and super insulated. In a new home construction, it would pay to hire an energy rater to consult on design and set bench marks for air-sealing performance. They can set benchmarks and then do a blower door test and test ducts for leakage before you accept the finished product.

Be sure that your ducts are located inside the house envelope,not out in a vented attic or crawlspace.

I will get the make and model numbers. I have been reading everything I can trying to get grasp on it. Attic insulation will be R49. I have decided to go with 2x6 R21. I will report back when I get the nubers and see what everyone has to say

Thanks alot.

Sprayfoam insulation costs a good bit more than 'glass... but can be up to R7 per inch with closed cell. That;s R21 in 3 inches, and r35 in 2x6 walls.... far better moisture barrier and WAY better sealing than batts in new construction.

Also... Ohio has reasonably good propane rates, if you own your own tank, as it's on one end of the pipeline. Check Thrifty's pricing before you decide on all electric, with competent energy analysis to give valid comparisons.

In Ohio, your heating efficiency is FAR more important than your cooling efficiency.

Also... in the long run, if you're gonna live there a while, better insulation and more efficient heating will absolutely pay off. Look at total costs over 10, 15, or 20 years, make the safe assumption that all energy costs will rise, and decide accordingly. Me, I'd go 2x6, sprayfoam to r35 walls, and take attic to R60 or better, AND go efficient heat. Not sure I'd try to use a heat pump at all, hard call when much of the heating season you'll be too cold to stay out of auxiliary heat... and I'll take multistage/variable speed propane over electric backup any day.