Before anybody writes to me to ask why I am writing about Coldwell Banker and not every other real estate company out there, please understand that I am blogging about other real estate companies, just not this very minute.

I think it's interesting to take a look at major real estate firms and talk about their history, background and specifically what these companies offer to consumers. Coldwell Banker is interesting to me because it's been around since 1906, having started in San Francisco. You know what San Francisco looked like at the turn of the 20th century, right? Muddy streets, horse-drawn carriages, women in lace-up boots and full-length garments, flaunting fashionable bonnets. Except very few women were selling real estate back in those days; it was mostly a male-dominated field.

Today, Coldwell Banker is a franchisor, owned by Realogy, which also owns Century 21. It boasts more than 3,000 franchisees in the United States and Canada. But it is also venturing into foreign markets such as Vietnam and Turkey . . . read more about Coldwell Banker.

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• "White Knight" Real Estate Agents

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All of us have, I believe, at one time or another, wondered about where would be the best places to live.

Some of us are lucky and born in the place where we want to live the rest of our lives. Although I was born in Minnesota, I realized when I entered my teen years that I did not want to live in in the Midwest for the rest of my life. I adore Minnesota, and it always carries a special place in my heart; my family still lives there and I love to visit, but I can't stand the winters.

I decided to find my own best place to live before high school graduation. Then I would know where to move after I turned 18. So, I did what any normal kid would do back then. During my senior year in high school, I hitchhiked to both coasts and back. That way, I reasoned, I could see the countryside and check out all the towns in between. Besides, I wasn't old enough to get a driver's license without going through driver's education, and I couldn't afford a car anyway. In retrospect, it was probably a miracle I wasn't pillaged or plundered.

After touring most of the country, I chose California. I don't miss the snow nor the minus-50-degree weather, either. And I've never regretted moving away.

But today, thank goodness, there are easier ways to see the country than hitchhiking. We have the Internet . . . read more about Best Places to Live.

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• Find a Neighborhood Specialist

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Spring is in full bloom in Sacramento, so last week I grabbed my trusty camera and headed off to photograph the distinctive gardens and homes of East Sacramento.

It amazes me that many people think the capital of California is Los Angeles. Even in my adopted state of 35 million residents, some of them, if asked to quickly name the capital, draw a blank. And half of those who do realize that the capital is Sacramento don't know where it is. Just for the record, Sacramento is located approximately 90 minutes north and east from San Francisco.

Sacramento is in the Central Valley, tucked at the confluence of the largest river in the state, the Sacramento River, with its tributary, the American River.

Located just south of the American River and east of Midtown is a delightful community known as East Sacramento. It's within walking distance of downtown. Many of the homes were built in the 1920s and 1930s, and are filled with Old World vintage details such as curved archways, stained and leaded glass windows, and richly appointed woodwork.

The photograph shown here is of the East Sacramento home where Ronald Reagan lived while he was Governor of California. It's hard to believe that the Reagans paid only $1,200 a month to rent it in 1967, especially when it last sold in 2000 for $1,765,000. It's easily worth twice that today . . . view a photo gallery of East Sacramento Homes.

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It's not true that Fed cuts reduce mortgage rates, regardless of how many times you hear it, says my expert, Dan Tharp.

According to Mr. Tharp, when the Federal Reserve Bank announces a big reduction in rates, say, 50 basis points or more, that action can actually cause 30-year-fixed rates to initially go up. That's because mortgage rates aren't tied to T-bills, like many people erroneously believe.

Trying to predict which way mortgage rates will move, though, is a little bit like throwing darts at a moving target board. The lenders I work with often tell me that rates can fluctuate wildly throughout the day. Rates can be up in the morning, drop over lunch and go back up within a course of a few hours.

Agents and lenders advise buyers to lock a loan rate when rates appear attractive. But the thing in the back of every buyer's mind is what if rates go down? That's a big consideration. But what if rates go up? What could cause rates to go up? Many real estate professionals, including some loan reps, do not fully comprehend how mortgage rates are determined and how Fed cuts affect mortgage rates. There's a myth perpetrated within the industry that rates always go down following a Fed cut . . . read more about Fed Cuts Affect on Mortgage Rates.

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Jingle mail is a growing phenomena in the United States, which is a direct result of the foreclosure crisis.

Some home owners, terrified of pending foreclosure, decide to mail their house keys to the lender and move out. They call it "jingle mail" because the keys make a jingle-bell sound when picking up an otherwise empty envelope. The term has become a euphemism for walking away from your home. I imagine most buyers would tape the keys to a card -- providing they possess a bit of common sense -- so the keys don't really jingle.

Here are a few questions you might want to ask yourself. How do you know that the lender will actually receive the keys or even wants the keys? And why would an owner move out while the home is in foreclosure? Typically, owners can stay in the home, payment free, until the lender evicts them. Eviction happens after the foreclosure is final and could take anywhere from three months to a year, depending on the way foreclosures are handled in your state . . . read more about Jingle Mail.

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Many couples choose to buy a home before marriage, but is it wise?

Regardless of whether you are planning to get married, are prohibited from enjoying the institution of marriage or just want to live together with the intention of forever and forever, I suggest that couples think twice before buying a home together. But I'm probably in the minority with that opinion.

The reason is sometimes that live-in boyfriend or girlfriend just doesn't work out. When that happens, it's hard enough to get that person out of the house much less off the deed of title to your home. If you have reservations or your friends have reservations about your relationship, you might be thankful down the road that your significant other wasn't on your deed.

When you're single, it's cleaner and easier to buy a home in one name. Since the person on title receives tax benefits that the other is not entitled to, sometimes committed couples make an agreement to charge the person not in title less than half the mortgage payment -- it makes up for the tax deduction the owner of record receives . . . read more about Home Buying Before Marriage.

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In the midst of recent title company closings, Chicago Title Insurance is still going strong.

But then Chicago Title has operated continuously since 1847, and it's one of the oldest title insurance companies in the country.

Buyers should always obtain a title insurance policy when home buying. In some places, the title insurance company is chosen by the seller because it's the seller who pays for the buyer's policy. However, generally the buyer pays for the lender's ALTA policy, which is issued in conjunction with the owner's title policy. If the buyer is paying for the owner's title policy, then the buyer typically chooses the title insurance company.

The problem is most buyers and sellers have no idea which title insurance company to select so they leave that decision to their agents, which is why title insurance companies market to agents and not consumers. Yet, when it's your money that is paying for the title insurance, don't you think you should have a voice in the matter? . . . read more about Chicago Title Insurance.

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• How to Search Public Records

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In the spirit of full disclosure, I am admitting that I have a home protection plan issued by American Home Shield.

I renew my policy every year, and I ask sellers to pay for a home protection from American Home Shield for my buyers, too. Why do I do this? Because one never knows what might go wrong in a home. For example, when I bought my home six years ago, it came with a stacked washer and dryer. The appliances at that point were about ten-years-old.

Sure enough, a year ago the washer konked out. I called American Home Shield, and it sent out a washer repair guy. He examined the washer and said it needed a new computerized board, which the manufacturer didn't make anymore. So, he offered to replace it with a brand new stackable washer and dryer unit. For free. That's what American Home Shield does. If it can't repair an item, it will replace it for free.

Except I didn't want a stackable washer and dryer. My husband yearned for one of those new-fangled front loaders on a pedestal. Turns out American Home Shield buys appliances at wholesale. So it offered me a generous credit for the new stackable unit, then bought and installed the front loaders at a fraction of the price new. Since my husband does the laundry, he owes me big-time . . . read more about American Home Shield.

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Don't be frightened off by putting together home buying paperwork. It's not nearly as bad as you might surmise.

But it's a good idea to begin collecting the required paperwork and documents before you start house hunting. This way, you'll have all your ducks in a row and know exactly how much of a loan the lender will give you. Lenders can make preliminary judgments about a buyer's qualifications, but to get a solid preapproval, you will need to submit the required paperwork.

The very first thing you should do is pull a copy of your credit report. You don't need to inspect each credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies, either. Just one will suffice. You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report once a year. So, the smart way to do it is to obtain a copy from one agency, wait four months and get a copy of your report from another, and so on. That way you can get an updated credit report every four months, instead of collecting all three at once. . . . read more about Home Buying Paperwork.

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You might not remember the name of GEICO Insurance, but you probably remember the gecko.

In California, geckos are very popular. I can't count the number of homes I've toured where geckos are displayed. These homes generally sport an edgy, urban design and, in almost every one of those homes, I'll spot a gecko lizard on the wall. Not a real lizard, of course, but ceramic, clay or plastic, often painted in a bright array of colors. You can easily recognize a gecko because of the fingers on its little feet. They're simply too cute, for a lizard, I mean.

Of course, GEICO also does those caveman commercials, but I don't think they were as big of a hit as the gecko commercials. Not that I have anything against lizards, but I've never wanted to touch an iguana. But geckos, seem, oh, I don't know, friendly. Which is probably what GEICO wants you to think.

Apart from its darling gecko, though, GEICO insurance offers a variety of home insurance policies, including those that cover condominiums . . . read more about GEICO Insurance.

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