So... in today's market, install wood or carpet?

LOL! I keep saying I need to find out what kind of shoes Curlers wear, and buy myself a pair so I can mop the floor safely. . .

It’s a good thing you didn’t have bamboo, or the cat would have fallen through.

We were fortunate. The 2 houses we’ve lived in for the past 23 years had hardwood throughout under the carpet (other than lino/tile/slate in kitchens/baths/entries).

On 2 occasions we have used a laminate (Pergo) and a strip linoleum that resembles wood, and in both instances we regretted no doing wood.

As a bit of a wrinkle on TruCelt’s comment, I don’t think you should completely ignore resale value. But don’t downplay any enjoyment you will get from living with the changes. It always sort of surprises me when people talk about their homes as investments, and appear to ignore that the get to live in them until they sell them.