Assuming, of course, that someone will still want to buy the old 990 after the replacement comes out.
I think that's a safe assumption - Model 950's still sell pretty well on the used market, and it's been discontinued for almost three years.
A universal remote will be key, I agree. I'm thinking of the Harmony 880 or the new Harmony One.
My wife has said more than once that our old URC MX-500 universal was the best upgrade we ever made, and the MX-700 that we moved to several years ago is even more popular with her. Investing in a good third-party universal that fits your needs is always a smart move.