Planning for Spring: Landscaping with Trees

I get my first site of a robin (see previous post from this morning) and I get planning for spring!

We have at least a dozen trees on our property but I want more. I was thinking about adding Oak trees or red maples to the one side of the property that doesn't have any shade for the kids. I would really LOVE to add a Japanese Red Leaf Maple like this one here as a more ornamental tree in a designed landscape setting:

Isn't it pretty? They're so expensive though. It is said that they will grow in most areas of the United States. With that kind of tolerance, not even I should have too much worry about killing it since I don't have much of a green thumb with plants. I think trees are different than plants though. Once they get established, you pretty much just let them go on their own, right?