JD, I understand how anxious you are to get this done. I was the same exact way, and as a result made a rash decision. Now, you are lucky: you have the advice of the vets on this forum. I did not.
I have two opinions which would make me continue to consult with other docs. One, I do not believe in the 2 HTs for density approach. It makes no sense to me to have a surgery like this twice when you could accomplish the desired density in a single pass. Trust me, an HT is no walk in the park. The surgery itself is not terrible, but the waiting game afterwards is tough. There are still very few docs who can do megasessions succesfully.
That brings me to opinion number two: while I think the majority of the forum-recommended docs do modern, ultra-refined work, there are only a handful I would say meet TOP doc status. And when you are reconstructing a hairline you especially want a TOP doc. IMO, top docs are the ones regularly doing megasessions (read Feller's web site section on the importance of megasessions), dense packing, and very natural designs.
It seems you are considering your surgeon choices for all the wrong reasons: proximity and cost.
Again if I were you I'd save up, travel to see a top doctor, and do a one-pass surgery. With your hairline requirments and NW pattern it's totally possible.
The only docs I would consider are: Feller, Alexander, Rahal, Shapiro, H&W. Are there other docs out there that could do a good job? Of course. Could Dr.S give you a great result that you're happy with? Quite possibly. But these docs I've listed have proven themselves time and again with the aforementioned qualities and 1500 grafts just doesn't sound right. (Also don't compare your case to another of 1500 grafts--everyone has different donor quality.)
Again, these are just my opinions, and the bottom line is you have to make the decision that's right for you. Good luck.