Water Softeners

[coyotes1998]

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I own a 2 bed condo in Arizona that I don’t plan on keeping for more than another two years or so.
The water in Phoenix is notoriously hard, and my water softener recently cracked, which caused a major flood. After months of repairs, I am debating if it’s worth getting a new softener, or just leaving it looped. Since I will not keep the property long term.
Parker & Sons of course says that anything under $4K is complete garbage, and won’t do me any good.

1. Are water softeners absolutely necessary in places that have hard water?
2. Can I get something decent for around $2K if I shop, or do I not even bother? If so, is micro, metered, or timer the best way to go?
3. Is it better to buy from a plumbing company, or from a manufacturer directly? P&S lowered the price by a few hundred to try getting me to commit. So I’m guessing they’re just making huge markups.
4. Can an idiot like me who knows nothing about plumbing install it myself if I watch a YouTube video, or is it absolutely necessary to have a pro do it?

Any advice is much appreciated

 

[Geofd]

So I would say yes on a new system only because when someone sees these systems in other homes and not in yours they will know it's gonna be an extra cost, and no if you have no experience, leave it to the experts, talk to water testing companies,they probably have mechanical companies they work with