May I take looks (and money) into account when choosing, or is that wrong?different views

Caution is needed wherever what draws you is not the person himself but some aspect of his position: that aspect can one day disappear. Looks change -- and usually do change -- money comes and goes, and you're marrying a person, not his distinguished family. A marriage lasts longer than friendships, and it needs a solid foundation.

There's nothing wrong with asking for financial support, but you may not turn down a shidduch over money alone. In the same way, there's nothing wrong with wanting someone pleasant to look at -- but if the looks are acceptable to you, you shouldn't refuse for that reason. Flaws in middos, though, are a reason to say no: that's something you can neither work around nor learn to live with.

“If he or she has bad middos, you should turn down the shidduch — that's something you can neither ignore nor learn to live with.”

The mistake is to be swept up by outer wrappings like beauty or wealth. Beyond chemistry there's a practical side to choosing that calls for real thought: the right spouse helps you get through life, while someone you're infatuated with can lead you down a road you never meant to travel. When people choose for the right reasons, the couple respects each other and serves each other's dreams and goals.

“It's a mistake to be swept away by external wrappings like looks or money.”

He speaks of looking "above the line" -- focusing only on the outer shell. Physical attractiveness matters, but when a relationship is built on it, there's a real risk of missing the deeper qualities without which a good marriage can't exist.

“It's important not to look at a potential spouse only “above the line.””

Many people think rabbanim tell them not to look at appearance at all, and feel guilty for wanting an attractive spouse. But most rabbanim would agree: attractiveness matters -- in moderation. His rule cuts both ways: never agree to marry someone you find unattractive, and never search for looks alone. A caution: he tells of a man who cared only about looks and money; he married a beauty from a very wealthy family, learned the hard way that marriage is about more than that, and now, after a divorce, is looking for someone he can be happy with, without beauty or wealth.

“No one should agree to marry someone they find unattractive.”

People can hold different views on how much weight to give to outward appearance and to the opinions of friends and neighbors. But there's no disagreement on one point: what matters most is a solid foundation, one able to withstand any change in climate and hold up the building and everyone living in it -- and it's exactly the material for that foundation that needs to be checked carefully, under many different conditions. He also gives the image of a house: an ordinary house is of course decorated on the outside, but it's built for the people who live inside it, not for passersby; other people's opinion of outward beauty naturally affects how content one feels with one's lot, by human nature, but it remains secondary.

“It is specifically the material for the foundation that must be carefully examined.”

Beauty isn't considered undesirable in Judaism -- the Torah openly praises the beauty of the Matriarchs, and a chassan's opinion of his kallah's looks legitimately factors into the decision. But when a decision rests heavily on beauty, the Sages allow it only reluctantly, as a concession to human weakness. And it's certainly not considered normal for a man to be concerned with whether other people will find his wife beautiful. The Sefer Chassidim adds a note of caution: a beautiful face can reflect inner goodness, or it can mask vanity and self-absorption -- it takes a discerning eye.

“A beautiful face can reflect inner beauty and goodness — or it can mask vanity.”