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12 Romantic Ideas for Celebrating Valentine's Day at Home

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If an expensive dinner at a crowded restaurant leaves you exhausted on Valentine's Day, it might be time to try something less high-profile. Fortunately, planning a Valentine's Day celebration at home can be just as romantic—if not more romantic—because you can set the scene to your preferences.

Whether it's a candlelit dinner, curated music, or a fun game night, spending Valentine's Day at home can be a luxury—even if kids are home. Try these romantic ideas to make your at-home date extraordinary and special.

Make Plans for the Kids

Before you do any other planning for Valentine's Day at home, make sure you can carve out some alone time. If you have young kids, make plans for them—at home or with a sitter. If you keep the kids at home, you'll have to be a little more creative.

Serve them dinner early and separately. Have a little fun setting up their own "restaurant" with a kid-friendly menu and play money or credit cards so they can pay their bill and tip the server. After the kids eat, one of you can take care of bedtime duties while the other preps for the rest of the celebration.

Decorate Your Space

Think about how your favorite eateries create ambiance and work the same magic at home with Valentine's Day decor. If you're sharing a meal, use your best dishes, clear away anything that's not-so-romantic (bye-bye laptop), and create a stellar tablescape.

Flowers can be pricey around Valentine's Day, so skip the roses and use plenty of votive candles (flameless candles are a safe option). Add a table runner and some potted herbs or succulents for a touch of green.

You don't have to eat in your dining room, either. Consider creating a cozy spot in the living room with cushions near the coffee table, plan an indoor picnic, or even serve dessert on trays in bed.

Prepare a Special Meal

If you or your partner like to cook, go all out with a multi-course Valentine's Day dinner. Or put a twist on it—maybe you want to make it a night of quick appetizers or serve a slew of aphrodisiacs in your feast.

Or, instead of a full dinner, indulge in a dessert-only menu for your at-home date. Whether you serve a few store-bought treats or decide to bake a few mini Valentine's desserts, the important thing is to savor the flavors throughout the night.

If you're both early birds, celebrate Valentine's Day with a delicious breakfast in bed. You can try a breakfast casserole recipe or make ahead a slow cooker breakfast that will be ready when you wake up. Add some fresh-squeezed juice or a morning cocktail to complete your celebration.

Mix Up Specialty Cocktails

Indulge in a few favorite drinks by mixing your own cocktails or mocktails. Try a Valentine's cocktail or a classic cocktail recipe. You could even narrow it down to a wine-tasting or around-the-world beer tour. Find flavors you and your partner will enjoy. This V-Day activity can be enjoyed on its own, or it can be the backdrop for other plans at home. A little extra thought here will go a long way.

Play Some Music and Dance Without Phones

Create a soundtrack for your Valentine's Day at home. You can put together a list of all your sentimental favorites or pull a romantic playlist from Spotify, Pandora, or another streaming service. (And since you're in your own space, slow dancing between courses is suggested.)

Dancing together is a top-notch way to add intimacy to your date night at home. While you can curate a romantic playlist with a few of your favorites, you can also try an energetic dance game, dance workout, or even challenge each other to a dance battle. Explore videos and music on your favorite platform to help your dance night be successful.

Plan Light-Hearted Activities

Valentine's Day is the perfect time to mix it up if your date nights at home are getting a little dull. Consider splurging on a date night kit, which will surprise you with themed boxes of activities, playlists, and treats that suit your interests. Or try something new, like an online cooking class or other activity you'll both enjoy.

For an educational at-home date, try visiting a museum or art gallery right from the comfort of your home. Many venues offer virtual experiences or tours—even the Louvre Museum.

For a few laughs, try some friendly competition with a couple's game night. Bring out childhood favorites or try a new-to-you board game. You can even challenge yourselves to a few video games if that's more your style.

Break a Sweat and Then Relax

Working up a sweat together by getting active or exercising can be a unique way to celebrate Valentine's Day. You'll burn calories and boost up endorphins. Try an online yoga class or YouTube workout, or get outside for a friendly soccer game.

After you're hot and sweaty, take a bath together, but not before you create an at-home spa experience. Fill your tub with scented essential oils, light a few candles, and relax with a warm bath. Then, give each other a well-deserved massage or take care of your skin with a body scrub.

Watch Romantic Movies by the Fire

If snuggling up on the couch is your speed, plan a Valentine's Day movie marathon (which you can do after you do any of the above activities). Pick a few favorites or decide to watch something new. Just be sure to find a cozy blanket and add lots of popcorn.

Bonus: If you have a fireplace or outdoor fire pit, cozy up with your loved one to enjoy the movie with added ambiance. Add a warm drink and low lights to set the mood. Try upgrading your cup of coffee or brewing a flavorful tea.

Get Nostalgic

Reminiscing on your past is a wonderful way to spend a quiet Valentine's Day at home. Grab your wedding album or video and relive your wedding day. Or talk about that first date or time when you first met. You can even put together a photo album showcasing some of your favorite memories.

In addition, let your loved one know just how much they mean to you with a homemade Valentine's Day card. Add a special note or a Valentine's quote that conveys a sentimental message.

Share a Thoughtful Gift

Valentine's Day at home is the perfect time to remind the special people in your life how much they mean to you. Share your appreciation with a Valentine's Day gift from the heart.

Even if money is tight, you can give plenty of free (or nearly free) gifts to make Valentine's Day unforgettable.

Get Crafty

Looking to get creative? Having a arts and crafts night with your special person is a great way to have fun while making something meaningful together. Try an online art class or make a Valentine's Day craft. Gather some art supplies and let your imagination soar.

Go Stargazing

Nothing says true romance like a night under the stars with your special person. Whether you’re in your backyard, on a balcony, or simply gazing through a window, sharing the wonder of the night sky together makes for a simple yet magical way to connect. So bundle up, step outside, and bask in the beauty of the cosmos (and each other!)

Read more at Real Simple

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Single Women Own 2.72 Million More Homes Than Single Men In US — And The Gap Is Growing. Here's What It Means.

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When it comes to property ownership, single women in the U.S. have a major edge — owning 2.72 million more homes than single men according to LendingTree.

In fact, they outnumber single male homeowners in 47 out of 50 states. Pew Research Center data from 2023 shows that single women own 58% of the 5.2 million properties possessed by unmarried Americans.

This may come as a surprise because of the gender wage gap. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women in the U.S. earn on average 83% of what men do. However, there are some central reasons why single women are more likely to be homeowners.

Why single women are buying more homes

First off, some women actually earn more money than men in some markets. Pew Research found that women under 30 in 22 different cities have higher average salaries than their male peers. In areas where women earn more, they are in a better financial position to buy a home.

Some suggest that single women may be more interested in homeownership than single men, and more willing to do the work to save and make it happen.

However, there are also more clear-cut reasons women buy more homes even though they are single. Specifically:

Single women heading households. As the U.S. Census Bureau reveals, women are more likely to be single parents or caregivers for elderly relatives, both of which could prompt them to want to buy a home.

Widows as homeowners. Women often live longer than men, so many widows end up owning family homes. This might explain why the homeownership gender gap is narrower among millennials and older members of Gen Z but wider among older adults.

What does this mean for the real estate market?

Unfortunately, research from the Yale School of Management shows single women earn lower returns when buying and selling properties than single men.

On average, they pay 2% more for properties and sell them for 2% less. As more women come into the market, this could impact home values.

Since single women are more likely to have dependents, they may be less flexible on timing the real estate market than male buyers. This could drive sales in the spring and summer seasons, when school is out — typically the busiest times for buyers.

Women may also prioritize different things when looking for a home, such as safety and security features.

As developers respond to changing demand in single homeownership, they may build smaller, more affordable properties across the board. Both single men and single women would benefit from having housing options geared toward their needs.

Read more at YahooFinance

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Breaking Into the Market: Smart Moves for First-Time Buyers

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If you’re like a lot of aspiring homebuyers, there’s a major hurdle standing in your way — the cost of living. From groceries to gas, eggs, and just about everything else, prices have gone up. And that rings true for home prices, too.

But even when everything feels expensive, there are still ways to make homeownership more than an item on your wish list. You may just need to think about where you plan to buy a bit differently.

Think of Your First Home as a Stepping Stone

One of the biggest misconceptions among buyers is that their first home has to be their forever home – or that it has to check all the boxes of what they want right out of the gate. In reality, it’s just a starting point.

Once you own a home, you start to build equity, which grows over time as home prices rise. Down the road, if you want to move — whether to a larger space, a better location, or both — the equity you’ve gained can help you do just that.

So rather than waiting until you can afford your dream home in your ideal neighborhood, consider starting with something that works for now.

Expand Your Search To Find More Affordable Options

If high home prices in your favorite area are holding you back, it’s time to cast a wider net. By keeping an open mind and being flexible with location, you may be surprised at what’s possible within your budget. Many buyers find success by looking in surrounding areas – and some even choose to move out of state.

Of course, moving to a different state isn’t for everyone – and isn’t a necessity. The right agent can help you find more cost-effective options wherever you are.

If you want to stay local, looking just outside your preferred neighborhood could help you find something you can afford that’s still pretty close to your favorite restaurants, shops, and activities. Sometimes, moving as little as 10 minutes away makes a big difference.

And the best way to see what’s available is to work with a real estate agent who understands the local market and can help you identify hidden gems nearby. An agent can point you to communities you may not have considered that have lower price tags now and are steadily gaining value and appeal. That way you can buy your first home and be set up to gain equity through the years.

Bottom Line

Today’s cost of living is a challenge for many homebuyers. But by exploring different areas and working with a knowledgeable agent, you can take that first step toward owning a home — and building equity for your future.

Read more at Keeping Current Matters

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Homebuyers Are Being Warned About a Real Estate Scam That Will Drain Your Bank Account

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A new homeowner’s dream turned into a nightmare when a six-figure sum needed to close the real estate transaction went to a scammer instead.

The district attorney in Wichita, KS, is still trying to unravel the scam, which saw a massive amount of money for a home closing end up in the wrong bank—not due to a mistake, but to fraud.

Scams like this are known as wire fraud. It’s a federal crime that involves the use of electronic communication, such as the internet or phone, to steal money.

The National Association of Realtors® explains real estate fraud is one of the most prevalent cybercrimes in the U.S.

Cybercriminals identify a pending sale transaction and then build a profile of the parties. This includes the title company, the real estate agency, and the buyer and seller.

NAR says the cybercriminals will hack into the email account of one or more parties and monitor email traffic. They’ll usually send false wire instructions that divert the deposits, closing costs, and even mortgage payoff funds from the intended lawful recipient.

The origin email is either the legitimate email of someone involved in the transaction whose account has been hacked, or a very similar email with usually one digit off (as what happened in the Kansas incident).

The buyer then unwittingly sends the money into the account of the criminal.

“This is not the first time we have seen this particular fact pattern,” District Attorney Marc Bennett told Realtor.com. “It is certainly not the first time that financial transactions have been impacted by way of a fabricated or altered email. I would say the uptick occurred several years back. Now electronic scams involving large sums of money are a regular occurrence.”

Real estate scams are on the rise

Real estate insiders say this sort of scam is not new. With real estate transactions typically requiring large cash bank transfers, homebuyers are perfect high-value targets for criminals—and the scam is on the rise.

“This type of fraud has become very common,” says Richard Redmond of Redmond Mortgage Capital. “Consumers have to be extremely careful before wiring money to escrow to close a real estate transaction.”

A recently released report by wire fraud protection firm CertifID, says that over 1 in 4 consumers are targets of fraud in a real estate transaction, and nearly 1 in 20 become victims.

Real estate wire fraud has grown 50 times in less than a decade, from $9 million to $446 million in annual losses reported to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.

The growth is due to the complexity of real estate transactions (easier for people to get confused), the public availability of transactional data, and the big sums involved as home prices continue to balloon.

Fred Goncher of Backyard Mortgage Co. agrees that this type of crime is common. He tells how one of his clients came very close to losing a hefty sum.

“Two years ago, I had an attorney’s email get hacked and the hacker sent the borrower false instructions for a $300,000 wire,” he tells Realtor.com®. “When the problem was detected, the wire was canceled with about five minutes to spare.”

Experts say this kind of fraud is particularly devastating to the victim not only because of the large sums involved—often six figures or more—but because once the money is gone, it’s gone.

Wire fraud of this type is not covered by FDIC insurance as the bank simply followed the account holder’s instructions.

“If someone steals your credit card, you call and cancel it, and they don’t charge your card,” real estate fraud attorney David Fleck tells Realtor.com. “If someone hacks into your bank account, the bank will cover losses. But in this kind of fraud, you send the money to the bad guy’s account, likely overseas, and then it transfers to three other accounts, and you never see the money again.”

Your average buyer likely doesn’t have another six-figure sum lying around to cover the loss or make another home purchase.

Fleck says he has been seeing this scam for at least a decade, and those in the industry are well aware of it. However, an eager homebuyer might not be.

In fact, only 47% of consumers were informed about the risks by their real estate professionals at the start of the process, says the CertifID report. More than half of consumers were unaware that real estate wire fraud is “a thing.”

Fleck says that buyers might not be warned by those in the know for many reasons—perhaps real estate insiders simply don’t realize how prevalent the scam is—but that it would be “definitely helpful” if buyers are verbally warned early in the process.

First-time homebuyers are particularly vulnerable

According to the CertifID wire fraud report, first-time homeowners are three times more likely to become victims of this scam.

The first-time buyer is simply less aware of the dangers involved in such a high-sum transaction, and might believe that their hired real estate professionals will protect them.

More experienced buyers might have heard of real estate transaction fraud from friends or family, or professionals they worked with in the past.

Red flags to watch out for

Last-minute changes are a big red flag, say experts.

“Be cautious of last-minute changes to banking details,” warns Redmond. “An email with changes to previously sent wire instructions is a huge red flag.”

Another red flag is being asked to wire money to a bank not in the country where you are doing business. In fact, it is best if the bank is in the immediate area, less than 30 miles from the property in question.

Goncher says that for title money, the funds should always be going to an Interest on Lawyer Account or a trust account.

Fleck hopes that the law will catch up with this type of fraud.

“There could be legislative fixes for this,” he says.

How to stop this scam in its tracks

The good news? There is a simple solution to not becoming a victim of this type of fraud.

Pick up the phone.

“Always call and confirm the bank information and instructions with the person sending you the information,” says Fleck. “And do not use the phone number in the email. Use the number you already have for that person.”

Goncher agrees: “All wires must be verbally confirmed with the receiver before sending money. This is a simple phone call to a verifiable number.”

If you want to make certain you are sending your funds to the proper bank, grab coffee with your escrow agent or whomever you are doing business with, and verify the account details in person.

Read more at Realtor.com

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The German Habit You Should Try for Fresher Indoor Air This Winter

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While keeping your windows closed all winter may keep your home warm, it also traps mold, bacteria, and allergens inside the house, where they will gradually build and affect your indoor air quality.

To counteract this air quality issue, Germans developed the practice of lüften, which is now used in homes, schools, offices, and other public spaces in Germany. Lüften is even sometimes required by apartment leases in Germany.

Find out what lüften is and discover whether you should adopt this German window practice for your home.

What Is Lüften?

So what exactly is lüften and how is it done?

"Lüften is a historic practice of opening your home’s windows to allow fresh air in and force stale air out," says Lauren Riddei, Healthy Home Wellness Interior Designer and CEO of Haus Holistics.

There are a few ways to go about this depending on the time of the year, the time of day, and the size of the home.

For smaller spaces, opening all the windows in a room for a few minutes is often enough to improve the indoor air quality. When you have a larger home, it's a good idea to open all the windows in the morning, the evening, or both to let cool air in and allow warm, moist air to escape.

How Does Lüften Work?

The goal of lüften is to increase the amount of oxygen inside the home, while allowing excess carbon dioxide and moisture to escape.

"Lüften works simply by manually opening your windows either in the morning or in the evening to release an excess build up of carbon dioxide, mold, bacteria, allergens or condensation, while also allowing oxygen back into the interior environment," Riddei says.

Depending on the season, you can practice lüften at different intervals and for differing lengths of time. In summer, open all the windows about two times a day for 30 minutes to improve the indoor air quality.

During the spring and fall seasons, shorten the amount of time the windows are open to about 10 to 15 minutes twice a day. When winter hits, you should only need to have the windows open for about five to 10 minutes twice a day.

Why Is Lüften Considered Beneficial?

In general, by practicing lüften, you can improve the air quality indoors, replacing stale air with fresh air to help reduce the risk of mold.

Cool, oxygen-rich air also helps you to sleep better at night, while opening the windows during the spring and fall can keep the home feeling comfortable, without wasting money on energy bills to run your furnace or air conditioner.

"Lüften is not only a quick and easy habit to get into, but it's a great way to release potential volatile organic compounds, condensation, mold, allergens or bacteria that can build up inside our enclosed spaces," Riddei says.

Why Should People Consider Lüften for Their Home?

Adopting lüften as a regular practice can improve home comfort and air quality. It's also an easy practice that doesn't take a lot of time or much effort, so there is little reason to avoid this beneficial change to your morning or evening routine.

"Personally, I prefer to slightly ajar my windows first thing in the morning as I'm going about my tasks," Riddei says. "During cold winter evenings, there is nothing better than opening my windows for just a few minutes before I go to sleep. Not only does the temperature drop, allowing for deeper sleep, but the indoor air quality is improved."

Read more at Spruce

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