Problem lining up objects on a web page.

I am doing a aspx page in vb.net.  Trying to get a few objects to line up and what a pain in the butt.  Here is the following code.  I am trying to get the the dropdownlist and the checkbox list to be next to each other with a few spaces in it.  No matter what I do it doestnt work.  Please help.  Here is the code.

<asp:panel id="Panel1" style="Z-INDEX: 103; LEFT: 128px; POSITION: absolute; TOP: 103px" runat="server"
                        Height="700px" Width="830px" HorizontalAlign="Center" BackColor="Transparent" BorderColor="White"
                        BackImageUrl="http://www.theapartmentgallery.com/Newweb/images/Background/Backgroundjustpie copy.jpg">
                        <DIV id="center_menu_id" align="center"></DIV>
                        <P></P>
                        <P></P>
                        <P>&nbsp;</P>
                        <P align="left">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</P>
                        <P align="left">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<STRONG>Select
                                    Property to Search</STRONG></P>
                        <P align="left">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;
                              <asp:DropDownList id="ddProperties" runat="server" Width="231px"></asp:DropDownList>
                              <asp:CheckBoxList id="CheckBoxList1" runat="server"></asp:CheckBoxList></P>
                        <P align="left">&nbsp;</P>
                        <P align="left">&nbsp;</P>
                        <P align="left">&nbsp;</P>
                        <P align="left">&nbsp;</P>
                        <P align="left">&nbsp;</P>
                        <P p;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
                              &nbsp;
                              <asp:Button id="Button1" runat="server" Width="114px" Height="37px" Text="Begin Search"></asp:Button></P>
                        <P>
                              <asp:DataGrid id="dgResidents" runat="server" Width="679px" Height="132px" BackColor="Aqua" AutoGenerateColumns="False">
                                    <SelectedItemStyle BackColor="Blue"></SelectedItemStyle>
                                    <HeaderStyle ForeColor="White" BackColor="Black"></HeaderStyle>
                                    <Columns>
                                          <asp:BoundColumn DataField="aptnumber" HeaderText="Apt No."></asp:BoundColumn>
                                          <asp:BoundColumn DataField="name1" HeaderText="Resident Name"></asp:BoundColumn>
                                          <asp:ButtonColumn Text="Button" DataTextField="tenantid" HeaderText="Resident ID" CommandName="PickResident"></asp:ButtonColumn>
                                          <asp:BoundColumn Visible="False" HeaderImageUrl="Tenantid" DataField="tenantid"></asp:BoundColumn>
                                    </Columns>
                              </asp:DataGrid></P>
                        <P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
                        </P>
                        <P>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
                        </P>
                        <P>&nbsp;</P>
                  </asp:panel>