Hi and welcome to the board. Maniac hit the nail on the head when she said it was almost like shopping for a car. First thing you need to do is test drive a few to make sure you may even like Longarm quilting. Plenty of people have posted on this board in the past that once they tried it they realized right away it wasn't for them. Others realized the cost did not justify the amount of quilting they might possibly do or realized they could literally send hundreds of quilts to a LA pro for the cost of the machine.
Most people research and weigh their options for a year or more when making such an expensive purchase. They range in price from as little as a a couple thousand dollars for bare bones, no stitch regulated smaller sit down models like a 13" Bailey to tens of thousands of dollars for the computerized models and every price point in between. In addition to the cost of the machine head you will need either a special table or a rack. So you need to add at least $600 to your machine price for purchasing a table or rack (and some are quite a bit more than that). You can always make a table too There are also used machines out there but if you go that route you most likely will not get any training or support if something goes wrong. Believe me you definitely want training and support.
First you need to set yourself a budget. Then based on that, you need to decide if you want a sit down machine or a rack set up. Then you need to make a list of what features you may want, such as stitch regulation, computer guided, etc. Then you need to start researching and going to major quilt shows to see them in action. Check your area LQS to see if any of them offer training and rental time on a LA. A sure fire way to find out if you can manage working on a rack set up physically (long hours of standing and loading quilts, backing and batting). If sit down is the way you want to go, again, go to the big shows and try out a demo model or better yet find a local dealer. You don't say where in Western NY you are but Bailey's home quilters are in western NY. You may be close enough to them to stop in.
http://www.baileyssewingcenter.com/index.html
My best advice to you is don't rush into anything. Weigh all your options and don't forget these types of machine also have a long learning curve for many. Take your time so you don't regret your purchase.