“Cost utilities going up. The county has more than one structure, so when you're looking at those utility bills, obviously we have to be able to budget for that. There's a cost factor that goes into maintenance fees and different things, so we have to be prepared to pay those costs. But we are looking at a relatively flat budget that's based on the projected dollars that are going to be coming into the county,” said Cory Noonan, Allen County commissioner.

The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing is celebrating Homeownership Month by offering essential advice to help first-time homebuyers make confident, informed decisions.