Let's get this out of the way... they all want to make money. So do I, and I suppose you do, too.

The best thing to do is to concentrate on you. Where are you personally and where do you want to be in your career. That usually narrows the field of cert possibilities.

I can't say that I agree with all of your points:

1. Whether for certs or anything else, it's always a good idea to check out the rep of an org.
2. I feel that all certs should have a self-study option. I'll leave it at that.
3. I disagree with your price limit. If you said $5 - 10,000 I might agree. Look at MS exams at $125 each and you need to take 7 of them to get MCSE. That ends up being cheaper than the $5 - 600 for a CISSP exam. Either way though, unless you will never change jobs - ever, the salary increase will clearly be above that cost. Even if there was no monetary advantage, I would easily spend more than $150 on my career and lifelong education.
4. Continuing Requirements are looked at by most as a sign of a valued credential. As stated above, money is always involved, but it's also a good way for the organization to force continued learning in a particluar area. This is a good idea in my opinion. Plus, there are plenty of free ways to get CPEs.

My $.02,
Don