Go with a heat pump. I too am in cent FL (DeLand) and a heat pump is far and away the best way to heat even with the minimal season we have here. Be sure to include a heat recovery unit to provide free hot water. The addition of a HRU will boost total system efficiency (HVAC & water heating)to somewhere around a SEER 20-22 rating and lower your electric bill $30 to $50 dollars a month. It also allows you to save money buying a much less costly SEER 13 system and still get the SEER 20 or so advantage.

I just put in a new hot water heater a couple of years ago with one of those computers on top of it. Would that unit go off to the dump with a hot water recovery heat pump?

And still, in DeLand or in Orlando is seems that the cost to run an AC/electric-furnace is not much more per year than with a heat pump due to it being so hot here. My experience over the decades with heat pumps is that they take a lot more service calls than AC units. Ah, but I have no real proof of that == hence, I am still confused.

Your water heater becomes a storage tank for the hot water...it's element just won't be going on very much. I've had very little problems over the years with AC equipment. My experience is that the most common problems are condenser fans and motor starting capacitors. I'm sure there's a considerable difference in operating cost even here in cent Fl between a reverse cycle and heat strips. The compressor draws about 2200 watts as opposed to 7500-10000 watts for the heat strips. Maybe heat pumps used to be problematic years ago but my experience especially over the last 20 years is that they don't fail much more often than an AC unit. The reversing valves are especially reliable now.

My email is garymunson@cfl.rr.com. I'd be glad to put you in contact with my AC guy. It's hard to find an honest one...he's one of them....He'll give you straight answers whether you decide to do business with him or not.