Rents always suck upstate. A two bedroom in a nice development in a suburban town near me is about $1400/mo. Ownership is always cheaper.
As for the costs -- I cheat a bit. I've been able to build more equity over the years and refinanced into lower LTVs as time and rates went down. I bought my first house as a student at a SUNY school -- my mortgage was about the same as a "student ghetto" apartment. This house I bought about 15 years ago. In my urban neighborhood, houses sell for about $135 sqft today. In the suburbs, it's about 30% more, and you are basically paying for better schools.
You can get a small, nice house in a place like Fairport, NY for $150k. I don't know that area super well, but you might find lower costs in an adjacent county without the tax/infrastructure burden of Rochester.
As for the costs -- I cheat a bit. I've been able to build more equity over the years and refinanced into lower LTVs as time and rates went down. I bought my first house as a student at a SUNY school -- my mortgage was about the same as a "student ghetto" apartment. This house I bought about 15 years ago. In my urban neighborhood, houses sell for about $135 sqft today. In the suburbs, it's about 30% more, and you are basically paying for better schools.
You can get a small, nice house in a place like Fairport, NY for $150k. I don't know that area super well, but you might find lower costs in an adjacent county without the tax/infrastructure burden of Rochester.