Posting to follow.

Hi, meg, don't go with the laminate. You are right about the reduced value because of it, but it also brings a few problems of its own. For one thing, it sounds clicky when you walk on it. Also, dogs (and running kids) have trouble getting traction on it because it is a bit slippery. And it does scratch if you drag unprotected furniture across it.

You will be so much happier with hardwood. Yes, it will scratch, but you can somewhat ameliorate this by using felt pads on all your furniture legs. Also, using a medium tint for the stain will at least keep every little hair and dustball from being noticed.

And make sure you do not skimp on the quality of the flooring, and the installation and staining process. Three coats of protectant should be adequate, but don't settle for less than that. Do a bit of reading up front, so that you know what to ask for when hiring out the job.

I hope this helps - I guarantee you, you will not regret installing hardwood. And, worse comes to worse, at least hardwood can be sanded and refinished many times over, whereas with laminate you do not have this option.

Go hardwood if you can.