If you have a newer computer and a faster internet connection, then try Google Earth. The interface is incredible. Google Earth is a 3-D experience. You can look at features from any angle and you can zoom in and out with ease. Google Earth is free software that is downloaded to your PC. Google Earth must run on a newer computer and you need a DSL or cable modem internet connection or better.

Google Maps is a 2-D experience. It uses the same satellite images as Google Earth, but you can't tilt or rotate the perspective. Google Maps is viewed from the web browser. No additional software is needed. Google Maps can run on older computers and with a slower internet connection.

How do I install Google Earth?

This link takes you to Google Earth's install page. If you already have Google Earth installed, the installation program will update you to the latest version. Google recommends a computer that is no more than four years old (two years for a laptop) connected to the internet with a DSL or cable modem or better. A dial-up connection is too slow.

Recommended settings

I recommend the following settings for Google Earth version 4. From the Google Earth menu, click on "Tools", then "Options". Then

On the "View" tab, you might like an "Elevation Exaggeration" of 1.2 or 1.3
Click on the "Navigation" tab. Under "Show Navigator", click on "Always"
Click on the "General" tab. Put a check mark next to "Show web results in external browser"

Learn more about Google Earth

Read the help file that comes with Google Earth
Read the Google Earth Basics article at Google Earth Blog.
Read the Google Earth Blog, the definitive Google Earth blog site.
Read the forums, such as Google Earth Community (also available from the Google Earth help menu)
Google Earth in the classroom.
Google Earth Lessons
Juicy Geography
How stuff works - Google Earth
Search Google for Google Earth topics....

Keyboard shortcuts

Use "control" and "shift" together with the arrow keys.
Press the left mouse button and drag the mouse.
Spin the mouse wheel.
Some folks like to press down the mouse wheel and drag the mouse.
With any of the above, press "alt" to slow down the movement.

Function	Keyboard Shortcut*	Mouse Shortcut*
Zoom in and out	ctrl-up and ctrl-down cursor key	mouse wheel, or right-click and drag mouse
Spin left	shift-right cursor key	ctrl-mouse wheel, or press mouse wheel and drag mouse
Move left, right, forwards, and backwards	cursor keys	left click and drag the mouse
Spin right	shift-right arrow keys	ctrl-mouse wheel, or press mouse wheel and drag mouse
Tilt up and down	shift-up and down cursor keys	shift-mouse wheel, or press mouse wheel and drag mouse

*If the "alt" key is also pressed, then these actions slow down, which can be handy.

Learn more about Google Maps

Read Google Maps Mania, the definitive Google Maps Blog

Is there a fee for using Earth Point?

No, Earth Point is available to anyone at no cost. Earth Point automatically displays MLS listings from Ada and Canyon counties, Idaho.

Icons and colors

Each price range has a separate icon color. Each listing type has its own icon shape and its own property line color.

Listing Type	Price Range					Property Line Color
Listing Type	$0 to $100,000	$100,000 to $200,000	$200,000 to $300,000	$300,000 to $400,000	$400,000 plus	Property Line Color
Residential
Land
Farm and Ranch
Residential Income
Business Commercial
New Listings of any type						As above

Save the real estate listings

Initially, the real estate listings are placed in the "Temporary Places" folder of Google Earth. When you exit Google Earth, there will be a message. Click "Yes" so that these items will be there when Google Earth is restarted. That way, your listings will be refreshed every day.

unsaved items

Home	Homes and property for sale mapped onto Google Earth and Google Maps.
Intro	Illustrates the features of Earth Point and includes screen shots of properties and listings on Google Earth.
Q & A	Questions and answers.
Property Search	County-wide address lookup and mapping, includes assessor's data.
County GIS	Interactive roof-top address and data browser. Draws property lines as you move about in Google Earth.
Township & Range	Displays the United States Public Land Survey System on Google Earth.
Around Town	Schools, traffic cameras, webcams, historical sites.
Press	Google Earth Blog, Inman news, Idaho Statesman, Kuna Melba News.
Blog	Updates, news, topics of interest.
About	Earth Point.

Two Steps

1) Install Google Earth. The Q & A page links you to it.
2) Download the listings. Enter the search criteria, click the "View on Google Earth" button.

Once downloaded, the listings are automatically updated every day. Included are the cities of Boise, Caldwell, Eagle, Garden City, Greenleaf, Kuna, Melba, Meridian, Middleton, Nampa, Notus, Parma, Star, and Wilder.

Subdivision Maps

The subdivision maps are automatically included in each download to Google Earth. There are three maps, so far. To make the best use of the subdivision maps, download the "Residential" listings and the "Land" listings together. This lets you see both the houses for sale and the building lots that are available. If you want to see all the properties, then don't make any entries in Price, Beds, Square Feet, or MLS Number. Click the "View on Google Earth" button. Once the download is complete, find the "Subdivisions" folder in the left margin of Google Earth and open it. Click on "Two Rivers", for example, and Google Earth will fly you there. The houses for sale are represented by diamond-shaped icons, the bare lots by round icons.

How do I use a Google Earth aerial view as an MLS picture?

Open Google Earth. Zoom to your listing property. Frame the view as you want it to appear in MLS. On the Google Earth menu, click "File", then "Save Image". The view will be saved as a "jpg" file, which is perfect for uploading to MLS. In accordance with the Google Earth copyright agreement, do not trim Google's name off of the picture.

If you would like to include property lines in the Google Earth view, then first go to the Earth Point Property Search page. Enter the parcel number or numbers, click the "View on Google Earth" button, and proceed as above.

If the listing is already in MLS, another method is to go to the Earth Point Home page. Uncheck the "Residential" listing type. Enter the MLS number. Click the "View on Google Earth" button.

How do I list my house for sale on Google Earth?

Earth Point gets its listing data from Intermountain Multiple Listing Service, which is the database realtors use. So long as your realtor enters a correct parcel number or numbers, your listing will appear on Google Earth. If I am your realtor, no worries, the listing will appear! Otherwise, your realtor can read the following or give me a call.

The property must be in Ada or Canyon counties, Idaho.
The listing must be entered into the Intermountain Multiple Listing Service database.
The correct parcel number or parcel numbers must be entered. In Canyon County, please use the account number. Multiple parcel or account numbers can be entered so long as they are separated by spaces or commas. For "Land" listings, parcel or account numbers can also be entered into the "Additional Parcel Numbers" field.

Parcel numbers

The correct format for a parcel number is R1234567890. That is, a letter followed by exactly ten numeric digits. In Ada County, the letter can be "R", "S", or "O". In Canyon County, the only letter used is "R". If the number you are using has any other format, then it is not correct.
Parcel numbers do not start with "5" or "6". Parcel numbers do not contain dashes or spaces. To repeat, parcel numbers start with a letter, and are followed by exactly ten numeric digits.

Sadly, the complicated part.
It is not easy to get the correct number in Canyon County, because two numbers and several formats are in use. Let's use the Canyon County court house as an example.

Address: 1115 Albany Street, Caldwell
Account Number: R0502100000
Parcel Number: C1210031001A

In Canyon County, always use the account number, "R0502100000". The parcel number is obsolete.

Incorrect practices common in Canyon County include:

If the last five digits of the account number are zeros, they are dropped - "R05021"
A year designator is added to the beginning of the account number - "6R0502100000" or "5R0502100000"
The obsolete parcel number is used - "C1210031001A"
The obsolete parcel number is used, and "5R" or "6R" is added to the beginning - "6RC1210031001A"
Punctuation is added to the account number - "R05021-00000"
Any and all combinations of the above.

Earth Point will try to work around these errors. However, to ensure that a Canyon County listing is correctly displayed on Google Earth, please enter a correct Account Number. That is, the letter "R" followed by ten numeric digits, no punctuation, no letters.

Problems with the Canyon County obsolete parcel number.

The obsolete parcel number does not always identify the correct lot.
If road runs through the property, then there could be two separate lot lines in the Canyon County mapping file. Both lot lines will be displayed only if the listing uses the Account number. If the obsolete parcel number is entered, then only one of the lot lines will be displayed.

Enter the correct county

Enter the county for which taxes are collected. If the incorrect county is entered into IMLS, the property will not display on Google Earth. Data entry errors sometimes occur for properties located close to the Ada-Canyon county line. A property can have a mailing address that indicates that it is is one county, but it is really located in the other. For example, some Ada county properties have Nampa addresses, but Nampa is in Canyon County. Always enter the county for which the property is taxed.

Virtual Tours

Earth Point recognizes and links to the following virtual tours:

Please let me know if your listing uses a tour that is not on the list.

Is Earth Point available in other cities?

Exclusive licenses and technical assistance are available.

Most larger cities have the necessary elements.

High-resolution Google Earth imagery.
Mapping files (called shape files) as provided by the county assessor's office or provincial office. These files define the property boundaries of each lot.
Access to the IDX data files provided by the local MLS organization.

Just like houses, Earth Point applications are built one at a time. This is because each county assessor's office has its own way of organizing its property data, each MLS has a different format for the IDX data, and each broker has their unique vision of how Earth Point should be implemented.

How do I choose, Google Earth or Google Maps?