Lots of cons and we installed our own!!! Just basic plumbing knowledge. We had a lot of gunk and red stain in toilets. Soft water is so much nicer for everything; cleaning, drinking, and the list goes on.

And there are some houses in TV that have needed pipe replacement due to the pipes getting gunked up.
Water systems are a 2 part system. A filtration system and a water softener system. You can have one without the other, depending on water quality, likes and needs.
You can do nothing. We personally couldn’t drink the tap water, even after going thru the fridge filter or our Brita filter.
So we opted for a Pegasus system. It has a single canister that has a 4-way filter medium that will backflush itself to keep the filter medium clean. And a softener canister that can be used with cheap salt, or a more expensive sodium potassium. Using regular salt will kill the grass/bushes where the backwash exits the house. The potassium salt will not do that. Either version is safe to drink, obviously.
The other filtration system here is Nova. They use up to 3 filtration canisters/filters, whose filters must be replaced every so often, as they will clog and you lose water pressure. And it can also use a stand alone softener canister. Again with either version of salt.
The softener makes you feel like you didn’t rinse the soap off well. But you actually just have to trust that you have. It does not actually take any more time to rinse soap off, so you just have to trust it’s off. And the softner will also keep your shower/fixtures much cleaner.
You would be happy with either system. I chose Pegasus and sodium potassium salt for the softner medium. I don’t want to be changing any filters.

This thread is about water softeners, not water filters. They are two different systems. My post was about a water softener.

South of 44, we got a softener to avoid mineral build up on faucets and fixtures. We selected Nova but that was a mistake. The Nova system mostly worked for a while but then the tank broke and dumped resin into our water supply clogging the faucet aerators. Nova fixed the tank but it is barely soft now and we are getting mineral deposits on the faucets. We will be replacing the Nova system.

So, yes we need a softener here but not a Nova.

We have had Nova filter and WS systems installed for most of the time we’ve lived here since buying new south of 44 2.5 years ago. We hated the taste and smell of the tap water, and wanted to prevent any hard water build up on fixtures, etc, from the beginning. We started with the potassium salt, but switched to sodium eventually. It’s less expensive and I thought the water tasted metallic when we were using potassium. We still mainly drink the water from our fridge filter because we like it cold, but I’m okay with using water from the tap in the bathroom.

The only con for us is the space used in the garage, and that’s minor. We have Nova change our filters annually for about $140, but you can change them yourself if you prefer to save a few bucks on labor.

Wow, we’ve never had an issue in 2.5 years, also south of 44. Nova is so highly recommended all over the villages that this must be a very uncommon issue. So sorry it happened to you.

We have a Kinetico filter and softener and love it. No more mineral build up. Doesn’t require electricity. We use about 1-1/2 bags of salt a year. Small footprint. Backwashes one tank at a time when needed, not on a timer

Sort of hard to believe your new house could be having scale build up since 2019. Might be the type of toilet you have in your home. Ours is a 2008. We had similar double flush issues and replaced ours with 4 inch flush valve toilet. Believe it was model “ Champion 4 inch” model from either of the big box stores. Solved the problem.

Our alternative to a water softener
 

Several of my neighbors have cartridge style whole house filters installed in the garage by the inlet valve. We also installed this years back and we feel it made a great improvement. We use the PUREPLUS 5 Micron 10" x 4.5" Whole House Sediment and Carbon Water Filter Replacement Cartridge. The water tastes great due to carbon filter and have no residual on any of the faucets. I don't know if it reduces the hardness much but it does filter down to 5 microns. You can also purchase 1 micron filters, though more expensive, but we didn't think we needed to go that small. We get a 2 pack unit from Amazon for $30 and I replace them once we use about 20,000 gallons or roughly 6 months. I believe it would cost about $200 to have a plumber put in the assembly. It's interesting that you posted as I just changed the filter the other day. Take a look at the filter used for 20,000 gallons and the new one.

I have a Nova filter and a Nova water softener. No issues and a noticeable difference in the quality of the water
You can get 25 lb bags of salt delivered by door dash

We had our Nova system installed in 2018 and it's still going strong and would buy from them again if needed. I'm sure there are occasional problems that pop up just like any other product on the market. I'm pretty sure that Nova is the most popular brand being used in TV especially south of 44.

We have NOVA filters and softener. They keep the deposits from building up on shower heads and keep the dishes and glassware free of water spots. We use potassium chloride not salt so it can drain without harming plants. Nova will deliver and fill your softener with bags of the pellets, so you don't have to deal with going to the store, lifting and hoisting the big heavy bags.

Rinsing is no problem. The biggest issue is that it rids the water of any chlorine which is why the gunk builds up. Had I known that, I would never have it installed. We have to put chlorine discs in toilet tanks about once a month or so. The gunk also builds up in your faucets and you have to remove the end faucet part to clean or you lose power.

I agree with most of this
 

I have a water system for 19 years here in the villages. I agree with everything said except that the softened water is not recommended for drinking. That is one of the main reasons we installed the water system. The local water taste bad in my opinion. It makes everything you use it for, like coffee, tea or drinks taste bad.
The system only use a small amount of salt added back to the filtered water. The cost of the system over the years of use is very small for the benefit it gets. My installation includes quarterly servicing at no extra charge. I use Glacier Water and I recommend them. If you’re considering it I would suggest you at less checking them out.

Same problem with Pegasus WS system
 

At our Village of Collier house, my wife and I experienced the same breakdown with a Pegasus salt-based water softener system. Instead of fixing for $2,600 we chose to replace it with the 3-cartridge Nova filtration system for $750. And instead of Nova’s 2 sediment filters with 1 carbon filter configuration, we upgraded to 1 sediment filter with 2 carbon filter’s configuration. Water smells and tastes great, and no issues with scale or mineral buildup. And no more messing with salt, etc. Whatever you do regarding getting a water softener, I highly recommend getting the Nova filtration system with 2 carbon filter canisters and 1 sediment filter canister.