Its really hard to say.
Is there $1000 worth of product there? Well, IMO, skimmers are VERY, VERY overpriced.
With that said, if you want the top-of-the-line stuff in this hobby, you often end up paying quite a bit extra. By that I mean that ER, Deltec or whoever else aren't lowering their prices anytime soon (maybe ER might on some budget models, but not their RC line). So if thats the skimmer you want, thats what you have to pay unfortunately.
The ER RC250 as well as the Deltecs and H&S (all pretty much the same barring some minor differences) are pretty much built better with nicer pumps then any of the other RC skimmers on the market. They will outperform the budget skimmers stock, have good customer service. If you value these options, then $1000 is what it costs to buy them, but usually the price increase does not equal performance gained.
However, there are other options out there, and the budget skimmers on the market today are MUCH better than they were even 2 years ago. But then you are supporting some slave factory in China to cut costs down, and thats a whole new topic
Jim