mike, yes and no about cost of trees. i bought two 25' London Plane Sycamores last fall for 100 a piece. industry standard is $80 and inch, and the trees i have our 4". They are kicking ass this summer and doing great. you just have to shop the nurseries. sometimes they just want to get rid of the bigger trees. i planted them myself. Sycamores are fantastic trees. i thought i heard that KCMO arborist was against them, not sure though. Maybe wyco is different. i love them because they are a hardwood, can grow up to 6 ft a year, and the London Plane variety was one of the only trees to have survived in the city of London during the worst of the soot/coal burning. they can survive heat well and prosper near water since they lack a single tap root and it makes it harder for them to drown in high water tables.
i got a couple pics but do not know how to get them uploaded. when you see them, you can't believe they only cost 100.