I'm intrigued as to why he wants a high-efficiency toilet (resisting the temptation to make some dirty jokes here), but I would do it if you can vet the plumber he uses, or tell him that you'll provide a plumber and get approval from him for the amount it costs.

That quote seems reasonable but for a little more you could upgrade to more durable flooring that's water resistant and easy to repair. 

Glue down vinyl planks that look like wood are good because they are scratch resistant and if they do get damaged you can just pull them up and replace them.

We anticipate domiciling in central or south america at some point but have dozens of places to venture to so we've resisted buying.

Resist the urge to chase the shiny object.

Recession resistant asset class (people downsize, move in together, move back home, etc. during recessions)Cash flowing asset (not dependent on market appreciation)People buy a lot of crap and toys during good economic times (and need a place to put it)75% of the facilities in the country are owned by non-institutional owners (opportunity for adding value)Small ($10-30) rental increases create large increases in NOI and property valuationSticky tenant baseUnits are easy to maintain (brick and metal, no amenities, little landscaping)Location, population growth, and barriers to entry matter. 

So if you can position your assets into a single family with minimal debt you'll be correction resistant. 

It's pretty much water and damage resistant.

@Jeremy Marshall - as an upstate NY investor who has experience with many of these heating methods(natural gas forced air vs electric resistance heat, as well as gas/steam, oil/hot water, natural gas space heat,) I strongly recommend natural gas forced air over electric baseboard heat.

Path of least resistance.