One thing to keep in mind is that you might find, after spending the money, that you don't even enjoy quilting!
A friend, who is fortunate enough to have the money to puchase one, was seriously looking into a longarm unit that was shown at a quilt show. She had used it for a few minutes and thought it was for her.
She found a LQS locally (well, an hour or so away) that allows customers to "rent" time on their machine. They help you get it all set up, get you started, etc. She found out that she really didn't enjoy the process at all!
Imagine if that purchase had been made! For her, it wouldn't have been a HUGE deal, as financially they are well off. But for many of us, it would have been a disaster.
I'd recommend looking around to see if there are any machines you can rent time on that are w/in a reasonable drive so that you can do a top or two and see if you really want to invest in the equipment.