[Goldwingnut]

Go with the gas heater and solar hot water for the pool.
As far as the heat pump goes, you'll be using it during the colder months, trying to pull heat out of already cold air, it works to a point then it struggles. Homes with heat pumps have emergency heat, with is electric heater strips because the heat pumps can't get enough heat in the colder months.

The solar hot water will cost you a little more in pump run time and speed. Yes, in the winter months it won't provide a lot of heat, but it will help maintain the temperature. Use the gas heat to supplement and it won't have to run long. The gas heater will put between 300-400,000 BTUs of heat into the water no matter what the temperature, a heat pump, not even close.

Since you have a south facing exposure for the solar, you win! Tell them to fill every inch they can with the pool water solar panels. They'll tell you you don't need that much, not in the summer of course, in the winter every square foot of solar is that much less gas to use.

For the PV there are 2 questions to ask, 1) what's the ROI (return on investment) - how long will it take to recover what you invest by the money you save, if it's more than 5 years, walk away. 2) What it the typical maintenance cycle - how long until you may need to start replacing panels (and how much are they). If the maintenance cycle is less than the ROI, walk away, every time you need to replace a panel or inverter or battery or anything else, it lengthens the ROI.

My experience so far in The Villages, I've had a pool 4 years, it is comfortable (80+) 10 months out of the year on just the solar. I have gas heat (300K btu), the last time I used it raised my 15,000 gal pool from about 70 to 86 in just under 3 hours when family come in in the winter and wanted to swim.

If you want a hot tub included with the pool and want to use it in the winter, gas will bring it up to temperature (103) in 15-30 min starting from about 50 degrees.

I don't believe salesman, I believe engineers, I was both and never trusted my coworkers while in sales.