I am in California so it can cost more, but to keep up with code, we needed to have the air ducts redone and that cost $8,000. We got the American Standard AC 4.0 because our house is 2,000 Sqft and we had to have the air intake vent made larger. The total cost was $23,000 but we got a $1,500 rebate from SMUD. So total cost was $21,500.

I am totally satisfied with the AC unit as our monthly costs have gone down $40-$50 depending on the season. We save more in the Summer. We refi'd recently to pay off the bill and now it is all paid and we have extra cash in the bank thanks to lower interest rates.

By looking at the size of your home, you will either need to fork out the 24,000 or get something cheap that will cost you more in the long run. Let your home equity pay for it. The value of your home will go up with the new unit. Mine did.