  Two homogeneous pseudo-riemannian manifolds $(G/H, ds^2)$ and $(G'/H',
ds'^2)$ belong to the same {\it real form family} if their complexifications
$(G_{\mathbb C}/H_{\mathbb C}, ds_{\mathbb C}^2)$ and $(G'_{\mathbb
C}/H'_{\mathbb C}, ds'^2_{\mathbb C})$ are isometric. The point is that in many
cases a particular space $(G/H, ds^2)$ has interesting properties, and those
properties hold for the spaces in its real form family. Here we prove that if
$(G/H, ds^2)$ is a geodesic orbit space with a reductive decomposition
$\mathfrak{g} = \mathfrak{h} + \mathfrak{m}$, then the same holds all the
members of its real form family. In particular our understanding of compact
geodesic orbit riemannian manifolds gives information on geodesic orbit
pseudo-riemannian manifolds. We also prove similar results for naturally
reductive spaces, for commutative spaces, and in most cases for weakly
symmetric spaces. We end with a discussion of inclusions of these real form
families, a discussion of D'Atri spaces, and a number of open problems.
