Kuna Melba News
June 21, 2006

- Bill Clark

I am a big fan of Google Earth, an incredible globe that sits inside my home computer. Made up of thousands of satellite images, Google Earth lets us zoom anywhere on the planet with amazing detail. A real bonus is the vast collection of geographic information, much of it contributed by users from around the world.

With a click of the mouse, we can view exotic locales like Maui, Paris, or Kuna; fly to Africa, read National Geographic articles, and explore the places they were written; download real-time stream flows from http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/; or join the search for corn mazes at the Google Earth Community web site. The list goes on and on.

And then there is my small contribution. I developed Earth Point, www.earthpoint.us, which shows Treasure Valley real estate listings on Google Earth. There are over 4,000 houses for sale in Ada and Canyon counties. It is impossible to see them all by reading the ads, but it is easy if you use Google Earth.

That’s because the listings are accurately located and the property lines are drawn. You know right away if the house you are looking at is next to a busy street or is on a quiet street, if it has a big yard or small, etc. Once you zero in on a house of interest, a simple click displays the listing information.

For the first time, an on line map can actually be used to go house hunting. No more senseless trips in the car, no more reading ad after ad after ad. Just fly around and look at houses.

I will be writing more in future articles. If you have any questions about Earth Point or Google Earth please give me a call. My number is 860-6311 or email [email protected].

Bill Clark is the developer of Earth Point, www.earthpoint.us and is a realtor with Holland Realty.