[Bungleau]

Let's see... if you buy the $3000 piano, how much can you resell it for? Still $3000, or more like $1500? Find the difference, and that will tell you your "play area" -- IOW, that piano will cost you $1500 (with my numbers). If you buy a cheapie to start (say, $500) and then upgrade later, it will only have cost you $500 and not $1500.

Figure out the real numbers for it, and see where that puts you.

Also, I'm pretty sure that at least some electric pianos out there today are smart enough to figure out how hard you're hitting the keys, and adjust accordingly. They probably won't be the cheapest on the market, but they should be able to do it just fine.

My own perspective (as a longtime drummer) is that you spend a while learning the rudimentary stuff before you can start playing with feeling and emotion, which is where the dynamics and other things come into play. Until she gets there, it doesn't really matter what she's playing on...