Leslie's Blog

Like most people, it seemed like the beginning of January was the time to get serious about losing weight.  I joined Weight Watchers on January 17th and now have lost a total of 8.4 lbs.  This is much slower progress than I had intended and attribute my slowness to two bad colds I have had during this time and was taking lots of naps and not exercising.

I have a yearly physical that I need to schedule and have been putting it off until I lose some weight.  I am going to call the doctor's office today to see if I can get in around March 27th--should be ready by then.

Also, there is a need to get a new picture taken and didn't want to have "chubby cheeks" (the one's by my chin).

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings. Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view. You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

I have just gotten off of the telephone with an office worker at one of the Seattle elementary schools and she told me that the “open enrollment” for elementary school for the year 2008-2009 ends at midnight on February 29, 2008.  The guidebook says:  their fax machine will be on until midnight—postmarks do not count.  Go to the guidebook link and you will find helpful information including checklists to help you do so.  The first link is where you will find enrollment forms etc.

Schooling is one of the top concerns buyers have when they are searching for a home.  Jesse and Kathy Clifton have a thoughtful post today talking about Fairbanks Education  in Fairbanks, Alaska Education, talking about the North Star Borough School District and listing each school with a corresponding school district.

A woman called me yesterday that will be relocating here from Spain and wants to live within the boundary of the John Stanford International Elementary School, 4057 5th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 (in the Wallingford District).  She is drawn to the school because her children are currently bilingual and she would like her children to keep it that way.  John Stanford teaches their classes (half the day) in either Japanese or Spanish.  The language is chosen by a lottery.

I have written posts about schools in my area and mentioned that you can go to Greatschools.net for some excellent information on schools K-12, college planning etc.

I started this post because I was going to talk about how my daughter has been previewing co-op preschools for their son for next year.  The one he attends this year is for one day-a-week and he is too old for their program next year.  Things sure have changed since my kids were in preschool!

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings. Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view. You can also search by street address or the MLS number. 

In the Sunday issue of The Seattle Times, in the Real Estate section, is an article (with pictures) entitled "The200-square-foothouse."  The article was written by John Moritz, McClatchy Newspapers.  The homes are built by Brad Kittel, the owner of Tiny Texas Houses.  He uses salvaged lumber and building materials and they come wired for electricity and are "outfitted for plumbing, including a shower and toilet and a loft for sleeping."  The owner likes the fact that they get used wood that was "old-growth" timber and said "these houses could last for another 100 years." 

What would you use a small house like this for?  They suggest as a backyard hideaway, or a bed-and-breakfast cottage, artist's loft or workshop.  They did interview an artist that placed one on her 20 acres by a creek in southwest Austin. 

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings. Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view. You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

I asked for some feedback on one of my listings from an agent that had brought some clients through the house.  She said that her clients "liked the house but thought it smelled like smoke and have made an offer on another house."  I think this was from the power of suggestion because the home owners do not smoke in the house.  They do smoke on the back patio and had some cigarette butts lying around on the ground.

I would suggest if you are a smoker have a container that has a lid that is kept in a discreet spot.   It would also be nice if it wasn’t an old coffee can—for appearance sake.

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view.  You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

I have recommended the Bill Moyers Journal program in the past, tonight he will feature "a Seattle Times investigation of federal earmarks."  The Times reporters that will be interviewed are David Heath and Hal Bernton.  They "looked at how members of Congress have awarded federal dollars to local companies, some of those principals -- executives, employees or political action committees -- have made campaign contributions to the legislators."

I mentioned in a previous post that you can go to www.washingtonpolicy.org to read a copy of a small book entitled The Washington State Piglet Book, Connecting the dots on how government wastes your money by Paul Guppy (Vice President for Research at Washington Policy Center, a non-partisan public policy research organization in Seattle and Olympia, Washington.

This program will be part of the PBS series "Expose: America's Investigative Reports," there will be a new episode on his program once a month.

The segment already has premiered online at www.pbs.org/expose.  If you miss the program they will be airing it again.

UPDATE 

I was reading comments that was made to the writer of the article and this was a question and his response to a very important question:

Why can't we as American voters unite to pass a constitutional amendment to remove earmarks from this sneaky process of legislation? Each item should stand on its own merit and vote. Then each dollar could be accounted for and we could get to a balance budget.

Posted by: Bonnie | February 23, 2008 01:29 AM

We could pass a constitutional amendment. But it would seem that all it would take is a good law. Some have mentioned public financing as a way to reduce the influence of monied interests. I’m not an expert on that issue.
Congress could outlaw giving earmarks to campaign donors. They could also outlaw earmarks that benefit family members.

Citizens Against Government Waste are calling on members of Congress to take the following pledge:

FIRST, fully disclose all earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit requests (or substitute letters to agencies) on my Congressional website.

SECOND, not request any earmarked funding that would come from a federal program that is not currently authorized by Congress.

THIRD, not request any earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit provision that does not serve a federal interest and/or have a federal nexus.

FOURTH, not request any earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit provision for an entity located outside of the state I represent.

FIFTH, not request any earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit provision that would be directed toward a specific private entity that was not requested by an agency.

SIXTH, not request any earmarked funding be added or increased in a conference
committee to an amount greater than the amount passed in either the House or the Senate version of the bill.

SEVENTH, not request any earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit provision without also requesting that the provision be included within the text of the bill.

EIGHTH, support legislation that would end the linkage between campaign contributions and earmarks.

NINTH, support legislation that requires any earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit provision be put in the text of the bill, be available for discussion at an open Congressional hearing, and be disclosed with the requesting Senator(s), amounts, recipients, and purpose at least one week before the bill is brought to the floor.

TENTH, support any amendment in Committee, or on the Floor of the Senate, that eliminates an earmarked funding or targeted tax benefit provision that does not comply with this pledge.

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view.  You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

On Monday, I played hocky from real estate and took a bus trip tour to Olympia.  While there, I heard some Senators address our group and heard some speakers that had some worth while messages.  I will share some of what I learned.

Do you know what the Washington Policy Center is?  It is a non-partisan public policy research organization in Seattle and Olympia, Washington.  

WPC's mission is to improve the lives of Washington's citizens by promoting free-market solution to the challenges facing the state.  Through dedicated research centers, WPC focuses on seven policy areas:  state budget and tax reform, the small-business climate, the environment, transportation, labor and employment, health care, and education.  For more information visit http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/, or call 206-937-9691.

Paul Guppy, their Vice President for Research wrote a little book entitled, "The Washington State Piglet Book--Connecting the dots on how government wastes your money."   Guppy says "The purpose of the book is to show that state lawmakers do not need every dollar they take from citizens.  Allowing citizens to keep more of their own money would benefit the people who earned it and bring a greater sense of fiscal discipline to Olympia."

You can go to the website and read a copy of the book.  It details many examples of "pork barrel spending" and how much each item costs.  The website has a load of worthwhile information that you will probably find very interesting.

Go to the "Publications" button and click on 2008.  There you can see a copy of the hand out "5 Principles of Responsible Transportation Policy."  Item number 1 is "Tie spending to congestion relief.  Congestion relief is the most basic tenet in transportation policy, yet most citizens are probably surprised that it no longer exists as a priority for Washington policymakers."

Another of the speakers was State Representative Doug Ericksen, the former ranking Republican of the House Transportation Committee.   He wrote an opinion piece "State ferry mess a symptom of government's culture of failure" that was in The Times January 17th, 2008.  Ericksen also spoke on some other transportation issues.

Another handout we received was "State Senate plows through thorny transpo issues," by Curt Woodward, Associated Press Writer.  It is another worthwhile read.

We also heard from Bob Williams, President of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation.  Their mission is to "advance individual liberty, free enterprise, and limited and accountable government."  Their primary research areas are "budget and taxes, education, health care, welfare, and citizenship and governance. Within those areas we publish studies, conduct seminars, and work to provide information for legislators, journalists and the general public."  You may want to start with their information on the performance audits.

Well, I have given you links to enough information to keep you busy reading for a while.  I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Olympia and can see myself going there again before too long.   I would really recommend that you pick some issues and get involved.

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view.  You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

SB 6488 - 2007-08 and HB 2713 - 2007-08 are bills that Governor Gregoire has requested.  They provide for broader collection of biological samples for the DNA identification of convicted sex offenders and other persons.

What happens now is that the bills get public hearings and then the committees that the bills are in vote if the bills should go forward.   There is a Fiscal Note on HB 2713 - 2007-08 so it will need to get a public hearing regarding the financial issues.

I feel these are very important bills.  Here is the Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Bill SB 6488 - 2007-08:

Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Original Bill: PRO: Terapon Adhan, the offender
who raped and murdered Zina Linnick, had been convicted of a sex offense only a few months
prior to implementation of the law that required DNA collection for anyone convicted of a
felony sex offense. If Adhan's DNA had been collected at the time of his conviction, or later
as a result of his requirement to register as a sex offender, this tragedy could have been
prevented. The list of crimes proposed to be added to the law come from the state crime lab
and are indicators for sexual assault in the future. This law will help us get people off the
street and arrested earlier. DNA has assisted law enforcement in solving old cases. It has also
helped to exonerate individuals when they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is
not a significant privacy intrusion.

CON: We understand the rationale for collection of DNA for registered sex offenders and do
not have an objection. However, it is hard to believe that the majority of those convicted of
Assault 4 will commit another offense. A juvenile can get his or her records sealed for a
juvenile conviction, but will not be able to get his or her DNA back. It isn't fair to require them
to give up their privacy rights.

Persons Testifying: PRO: John Lane, Governor's Office; Russ Hauge, Washington
Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, Sentencing Guidelines Comission; Dan Kimball,
Thurston County Sheriff; David Boerner, Sentencing Guidelines Commission; Tom McBride,
Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.
CON: Jennifer Shaw, American Civil Liberties Union of Washington.

I will keep you informed as to what is happening with these two bills.

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.

On February 8^th, 2008, Senator Barack Obama, gave his speech at the Key Arena in Seattle.  What you probably didn’t know is that Dick’s Drive In was called to see if they would provide the food for the Obama group.

I spoke with the woman that actually delivered the burgers etc. that day.  She said that she did get to see Obama from a distance—said it looked like his was having an important meeting before he gave his speech.

What is nice is that the food was all donated by Dick’s.  If you don’t know about Dick’s Drive In—it is very popular and has been around since 1954.  They have restaurants located in Wallingford, Capitol Hill, Holman Road, Lake City and Queen Anne.

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view.  You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

ABC News has an article today saying that Forbes.com has come out with their list of “America’s Brightest Cities” written by Alyson Papalia.  Yippie Seattle is included!!   The places are usually college towns or some of the country’s biggest “high-tech centers (Seattle and San Francisco).”

Here are the statistics for the Seattle Area:  

 
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash.
Metropolitan Division

Population: 2,444,743

Ages 25 and older ...

with a bachelor's degree or higher: 35.92%

with a Ph.D.: 1.32%

with a professional degree: 2.47%

that graduated high school: 89.90%

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view.  You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

I was out throwing the Kong for one of my Manchester terriers this morning and happened to look at the neighbor's deck.  The deck is on the west side of their home and would provide a great view of the ship canal and the Ballard Bridge.  The only thing is, that they cannot use it.  Years ago, they had a handyman come to finish the floor of the deck and he had "torched down" the material upside down.  They were not able to remedy the situation so for all of this time, the deck with the view has been of no use to them.

It reminds me of when I had a broken water pipe out in my Covington home and went through the yellow pages to find someone to fix it.  The ad said they were "bonded," the trouble was they were using a relative's bond.  I was not able to get any satisfaction out of this deal either.  Does any of this sound familiar?

All this is to say, make sure you know what kind of work your workman does.  Do get good referrals before you hire anyone--this can save you a great deal of frustration and money.

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view.  You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

CNN and Fox News have just announced that Republican Mitt Romney has just endorsed John McCain and is releasing his delegates.  Mike Huckabee is saying that he is glad that Romney's delegates are being released.   "A source involved in the internal Romney deliberations confirmed Weaver's role and said the former Massachusetts governor concluded it is time for the party to unite behind McCain and focus on a difficult fall election environment."

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view.  You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

A couple of days ago I received a copy of a letter that was written by a Washington State resident that was responding to my request for support for Katie's Law.  She had sent the letter to her legislators asking for support for Washington State's version of Katie's Law.  It is the first time that I have received a letter like this, although, I know there must be many of you out there that have personally known or are related to victims of horrific crimes that this DNA bill would help to address.

I am enclosing a copy of the letter, because it is an important one.  I have not published the author's name because I did not ask for her permission to use it.  It is the victim and the issue that she is focusing on. 

I am concerned about Washington State's policies and courts that seem to be easy on crime.  Another important thing is that this legislative session is a short one--so if you have anything you want to say to your legislators, you need to do it very soon!

I am writing to ask for your support of Katie's Law. 
I was a graduate student turned faculty member in the
University of Oklahoma School of Dance when one of our
students, Juli Busken, was abducted, raped, shot in
the head and dumped into Lake Stanley Draper. After
receiving a call from the School's Director at 6 AM, I
was the one who called all of the other dancers at
home on winter break to tell them of the horrible
news.  Our dear friend, who we had just laughed with
and danced with not days before was suddenly gone
forever.  The anguish everyone felt was almost
unbearable. 
 
The months and years that followed were frightening, 
frustrating and heartbreaking.  In the immediate
aftermath everyone in the School was trained in
self-defense.  We had plain-clothed officers attend
our performances because the police didn't know if
Juli's killer might be among us.  For a time Juli's
murder was a regular topic on the news, it made
America's Most Wanted, and 60 minutes.  It was
dumb-founding that with all this coverage in a small
town like Norman and the sensitive, supportive
community of Oklahoma City that nothing more tangible
developed.
 
As time went on, leads dwindled.  Juli was never far
from us.  Her picture on the poster asking for
information about her murder stayed on our bulletin
board even after we reached the point where none of
the students knew Juli.  Her parents remained
connected to us and the School even after we moved on.
 That nagging empty hole kept us connected.
 
Emails and phones lit up, almost 10 years later, the
day that Anthony Sanchez was identified as a suspect. 
He had been arrested for another crime and his DNA was
entered into the system, a match came up in relation
to Juli's case.  It was even more satisfying the day a
new DNA sample from him was confirmed as positive. 
Juli Busken did not know Anthony Sanchez and neither did
any of us.  It was a random act of violence; she was
in the wrong place at the wrong time.  We hear all the
statistics on the news, that most murders are
committed by someone the victim knew which might make
connecting the pieces of the crime a little bit
easier.  But what about people like Juli and her
family and friends?  
 
I understand the concerns people have about personal
information like DNA being out in the world.  But this
information is not being tested for pre-existing
conditions that might make an insurance company
discontinue coverage.  It is being tested simply
determine if a person is a match.  DNA in Juli's case
not only helped to identify and convict Anthony
Sanchez, it also helped to clear one suspect whose
actions and timeline had many people, including the
police, believing he did it.  If it weren't for DNA I
am pretty certain he would be the one behind bars and
Anthony Sanchez would still be free.  In this country
a person loses a number of rights if convicted of a
felony, that should extend to DNA.  DNA is a key that
transcends time and distance and is the most concrete
piece of data we have to ensure truth and justice.  
Let's use it to best serve the victims and the accused.
 
Please vote to approve Katie's Law, for the safety and
justice of all Washingtonians and Americans.
 
Sincerely,
 
J.C.
Issaquah, WA
 
 
If you have any questions about SB-5095-2007-08, please ask, I would be happy to talk to you about it.  
 
 

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view.  You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

If you have been reading my posts for any length of time you know that I am very interested in getting improved DNA laws passed in Washington State.  The primary reason is to get very bad people behind bars.  I got "Google Alerts" on the two bills that I am hoping that you will read and get behind.  Now is the time to show your support buy letting your legislators that you want Washington State to get tougher on crime. 

If you go to my website (http://www.lesliebloss.com/) you will find a link that will show you how to find your specific legislators so that you can ask them for support.  Also, Senator Adam Kline also, needs to be convinced that the bill  SB 5095 - 2007-08 needs to get a hearing.  He didn't allow one last year.

HB 1023 - 2007-08 (this is the House Bill sponsored by Representatives Miloscia, Strow, O'Brien, Moeller

 SB 5095 - 2007-08 (sponsored by Senators McCaslin, Delvin)

If you have any questions at all, please let me know.

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view.  You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

I was listening to KOMO 1000 today and they were explaining the differences of Primaries and Caucuses and it is quite complicated.  You may want to go to the appropriate links to find out information as to why it is important to attend the caucus.  This is the first year I will be attending a caucus.

For Democratic Party caucus information, follow the link at http://www.wa-democrats.org/index.php?page=display&id=253 or call the caucus hotline at (206) 583-4345.

For Republican Party caucus information, follow the link at http://www.kcgop.org/caucus_locator.html or call (425) 990-0404 for more information.

Washington State Precinct Caucuses will be held February 9, 2008:

 - Republican Party Caucus finder
 - Democratic Party Caucus finder

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view.  You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

You all have put up with my updates about my grandchildren.  Haiden, my first one has been such a blessing and such a joy to watch--it is so hard to believe that today he is two years old.  I always thought life was boring before I had children--but grandchildren, to me, is about the future, possibilities and just sitting back and watching development.

His little brother is great also, but he is only 7 1/2 weeks old and it is not his birthday!

If you don't have grandchildren (and wish you did), there are things you can do to fill the void.  Schools often would like people to help youngsters with their reading etc.   If you look around, you will find that you are needed if you want to be.

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view.  You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

Republican Mitt Romney will suspend his campaign for the presidential nomination, sources tell CNN.   Because he feels if Obama or Clinton win the Presidency they would pull out of Iraq he is suspending his part in the race so that the Republicans will have a better chance of winning the election.

Here is what ABC is saying about it.

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view.  You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

I have CNN Breaking news sending me updates.  The latest is: 

Huckabee scored the first Super Tuesday victory, winning all 18 delegates at stake in West Virginia -- partially with the help of McCain's backers.

Sen. Barack Obama has won the Democratic primary in Georgia, CNN projects; Republicans in tight three-way race.  The commentators are saying that we may not even know who the winner is in California until Wednesday or Thursday because of the people that mailed in their ballots. This suspense is hard on me!

We, here in Washington State don't vote this time--sure wish I could.  If you haven't yet voted and live in one of the western states--it still isn't too late. 

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view.  You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

My brother-in-law, that lives in Alexandria, Louisianna sent me this email with a link to a Cochrane Mural.  It is fasinating how it was all put together.  You could spent a lot of time looking at each individual square.  It took almost 200 artists working for 3 months to complete the mural.

Cochrane Mural  

For those not living in the west, Cochrane is NW of Calgary and east of Banff, in the foothills of the Rockies.   This mural was unveiled last week at the Cochrane Ranche House.   Each tile is 1 foot square, is it's own individual picture and each is by a different artist. All of them together form this huge mural.  

You can click on each of the tiles to see them in detail. Check out the horse's eye.  

http://www.muralmosaic.com/Cochrane.html  

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view.  You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

I have a sister-in-law that called asking for my professional opinion as to whether or not solar panels would enhance the value of their home or decrease its desirability.  These particular solar panels will not be lying flat on the roof.  They are a special design that her husband has invented that will track the sun and will have the ability to move up and down and from side to side.  Her husband has now made a mock-up of what it will look like and is inviting the neighbors over to see what they think. 

They live in a lovely waterfront home on the west side of Lake Sammamish and it is understandable that they do not want to do anything to be a detriment to the value of their home. I do know that we in the Pacific Northwest are very much in favor of “going green.”  I am going over to their house on Wednesday afternoon to see their mock up and to give them my honest opinion.  I think I will take some pictures and ask them if I can put the question out to Active Rain.

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view.  You can also search by street address or the MLS number.

Last night I watched Bill Moyers Journal on KCTS, Channel 9.  One of his segments was spent talking about the hearings held by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the investigative arm of the House, with the Committee Chair, Representative Henry Waxman.  They discussed the Committee's role in the government:

"It's almost like having a policeman on the beat. If no one thinks they're being watched and being held accountable, they think they can get away with anything."

You will be amazed (or maybe not) at how secretive this administration has been.  It is really an important and eye opening interview.   I found Condeleesa Rice's testimony especially interesting.  You can go here to watch the video. 

The website also gives links so you can watch and listen to hearings in the House and Senate.

Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Green Lake, Fremont and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   Just click on the blue "homes search" button and then click on the area you wish to view.  You can also search by street address or the MLS number.