Is it worth investing in an expensive floor?

Hi
I have to replace about 1500 square foot of floor in our house, and I am going back and forth between what kind of floor we should get.
I am wondering if I should go for the best I can get as far as durability or looks (either ceramic or hardwood) or, should I compromise and get the look, but a little less quality with laminate (I know that its not the same, but good enough for us as far as the look goes) Is it worth considering putting in a wood floor, in order to up the value when we decide to sell? (not in the next 10 to 15 years)
I would appreciate your thoughts on the matter

Can't tell you what to do, just advise on the differences. Ceramic is the most durable - by far if installed properly - but it can be cold, and hard on the joints (prompting you to wear house shoes & flip flops a lot.. trust me - I've put down 2500 sqft in my house).

Laminate is not as durable, but in most applications, you will NEVER wear it out. you can scratch it, but you have to practically try. Of course it's toast if you have a flood/leak, since the moisture gets trapped under the floor, and warps/delaminates it... Ceramic tile (if installed properly) won't ever be hurt by a flood, hell, or high water. Laminate is nice and warm (it is installed over a padded insulating underlayment) though, and it's a lot gentler to walk on. It's a great floor, warm, easy to DIY install, and very very durable. Just spring for a high quality brand... I always recommend Pergo, because it always goes together easily (as opposed to some of the cheap crap out there), has a great warranty and practically never fails...

Hardwood is the least durable of the three, but generally looks the best. depending on the species, you can get heartpine (very soft, so soft that stilleto heels and dog claws will mar it easily) all the way up to like rosewood (about 3x as hard as oak). Just remember, wood requires more maintenance, and refinishing can be as expensive as installing new laminate. Regardless of the type of hardwood, 10-15 yrs from now...it'll need to be refinished for it to look good enough to sell.

Good Luck!