that is an interesting idea lzerarc.
we did vinyl mastic brand,the middle of the road quality.
what costs money, and what we did, were added some finishing touches.
we have 2 1/2 inch white vinyl trim around all of our windows. it costs more than J, but looks really nice, and finishes off the windows. Not nearly as wide as the idea mentioned, above, but 6" would be out of place on my side house.
we also did the large white corners that are about twice the size of a standard corner board. these are insulation backed to keep form, and really add some punch to the exterior. we also did cedar shake vinyl on the front.
we also have an arch over the front door and garage door, that are being trimmed out in a sheet of Azak board.
All the extras did add to the cost, but really set our house apart from some similar dormers in the area.
however, vinyl is pretty standard in my area even though the house prices are high. Hardie really hasn't penetrated in the middle of the road areas.
Q