U.S. tax season officially runs from Jan. 31 to April 15. While several energy-efficient home improvement tax credits recently expired, there are still many tax breaks available to homeowners.

Whether you own a single-family home, condo, co-op apartment or mobile home, you may qualify — just be aware that, in most cases, you’ll need to itemize your taxes in order to take advantage of these deductions and credits. Here are a few of the tax breaks you’ll want to check out.

Mortgage interest deduction

In most cases, you can deduct all of your home mortgage interest. How much you can deduct depends on when you took out the mortgage, the amount of the mortgage and how you use mortgage proceeds. You can deduct your home mortgage interest only if your mortgage is a secured debt. Your mortgage is a secured debt if you put your home up as collateral to protect the interests of the lender. You may qualify for a mortgage interest deduction on a loan secured for your primary and second home, even if your second home is a boat or RV with cooking, sleeping and bathroom facilities.

The interest you pay on a mortgage for a third, fourth or fifth home may be deductible if the proceeds of the loan were used for business, investment or other deductible purposes; check with a tax accountant for details.

Deduction of points

If you bought a home in 2013 and paid points in order to obtain your home mortgage, these fees are included on the income tax deductions list and can be deducted. If you refinanced your home, these points are still deductible, but it must be done over the life of the mortgage.

Exclusion on sales gains

If you sold a home in 2013, you may qualify for an exclusion on the net sales gain (selling price minus purchase price plus improvements) of up to $250,000 for an individual or $500,000 for a couple. This exclusion requires that the home was used as your personal residence for two of the past five years. Things become more complicated if you lived in the house, moved out and then moved back in; be sure to consult a tax professional to see if you qualify for a partial exclusion.

Deduction of property taxes

You can deduct your state and local property taxes, as long as they are based on the assessed value of the real property. If you pay your property taxes out-of-pocket, you need to locate your bills to determine how much you paid.

If your money is being held in escrow for the purpose of paying property taxes, you cannot claim this deduction until the money is actually taken out of escrow and paid. If you receive a partial refund of your property tax, the amount of the deduction you can claim will be reduced.

Mortgage insurance deduction

Mortgage insurance provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairsis commonly known as a funding fee; if provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, it’s referred to as a guarantee fee. The funding fee or guarantee fee can be included in the amount of your home loan or paid in full at the time of closing. These fees can be deducted fully in tax year 2013 if the mortgage insurance contract was issued in 2013.

If you pay private mortgage insurance (PMI), that’s a cost you probably won’t be able to deduct — unless you meet the requirements of a special PMI law that allows deductions of PMI payments on loans originated or refinanced between Jan. 1, 2007, and Dec. 31, 2013, and that meet certain loan amount limits.

Home office deduction

Beginning in tax year 2013, taxpayers may use a simplified option when figuring the deduction for business use of their home. Both homeowners and renters can take advantage of this deduction, as long as the space serves as your principal place of business and is regularly and exclusively used for business purposes. You’re entitled to a deduction of $5 per square foot of the home used for business, up to 300 square feet.

If the simplified option doesn’t appeal to you, you may still use the regular method (required for tax years 2012 and prior) and determine the actual expenses of your home office: mortgage interest, insurance, utilities, repairs and depreciation. If you use the regular method, deductions for a home office are based on the percentage of your home devoted to business use.

Energy-savings deductions

If you installed a geothermal heat pump, small wind turbine or solar energy system in your home in 2013, you may be able to claim a tax credit for up to 30 percent of the cost of installation. The credit has no upper limit and applies to both existing homes and new construction, but not to rental properties. This credit runs through the end of 2016.

You can also get a credit of up to 30 percent of the cost of residential fuel cells, up to $500 per 0.5 kilowatt of power capacity. This credit also expires Dec. 31, 2016.

Clergy, military housing allowance

Ministers and members of the U.S. armed services who receive a housing allowance that is not taxable can deduct their real estate taxes and home mortgage. Even better news? You don’t have to reduce your deductions by your nontaxable allowance.

Home values saw their smallest monthly increase since May 2012, up just 0.2 percent in January from December according to the latest Zillow Real Estate Market Reports. Year-over-year, U.S. home values rose 6.3 percent in January, down from peak gains of 7.1 percent in August 2013. This slowdown is in part due to the rise in inventory of for-sale homes across the country. The number of homes listed for sale on Zillow was up 11.1 percent annually in January, the fifth straight month of rising year-over-year inventory.

Inventory rose year-over-year in 82 percent of metro areas covered by Zillow, with the largest inventory gains coming in some of the areas that were hit hardest by the housing recession, including Las Vegas (up 42.8 percent), Phoenix (up 30.5 percent) and Sacramento (up 26 percent). These metros also experienced significant cooling in the pace of home value appreciation in January, as buyers had more homes to choose from and were less apt to engage in the kinds of bidding wars that helped drive prices up so quickly last year.

Want to know what the current state of the housing market is where you live?  Dive into Zillow’s data, available all the way down to ZIP code and neighborhood levels, here.

For a deeper analysis from Dr. Stan Humphries visit Zillow Research.

This image is a screen grab from a Bluffton branding commercial shown Feb. 19, 2014, at the Rotary Community Center at Oscar J. Frazier Park. SUBMITTED — Submitted photoPhoto by: SUBMITTED — Submitted photo

Bluffton residents and officials often invoke the town's "state of mind" to describe the eccentric, easygoing, yet difficult-to-define charm of the growing community along the May River.

To better grasp the notion, the town commissioned a Charleston-based advertising agency to develop a brand, or marketing message, to pinpoint Bluffton's qualities and promote tourism and economic development within its borders.

The result: "Bluffton: Heart of the Lowcountry."

Town officials, business leaders and residents packed the Rotary Community Center at Oscar J. Frazier Park on Wednesday for the unveiling of Bluffton's new slogan.

For the next few months, the town's message will be the center of TV commercials, radio ads and digital banners, according to Bruce Murdy, president of the advertising agency Rawle Murdy Associates.

Mayor Lisa Sulka said the brand was the culmination of Bluffton's growth, eagerness to attract business and desire to stand out among other destinations in the Lowcountry.

"We're growing up as a town," she said. "We're a distinct place in the Lowcountry."

In one commercial shown Wednesday, images of fresh shrimp from the May River, front porches in Old Town and lush, oak tree canopies were woven together in a video meant to entice visitors and prospective residents.

Murdy said the advertisements will play throughout the Southeast, in states such as Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas.

"A brand is a promise," Murdy said, citing Apple, Coca-Cola and Polo Ralph Lauren as examples of strong brand marketing campaigns. "It's something people can expect. And it's extremely important for a town that wants to grow economically."

The brand, which was produced in partnership with the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, cost $90,000 to study and develop. County and town accommodations taxes paid $70,000 of the amount. The town kicked in an additional $20,000, according to chamber spokeswoman Charlie Clark.

The advertising campaign cost $80,000, Clark said. It was paid for with money the chamber received from Bluffton accommodations' taxes and a state program that matched the funds raised.

The town held four public meetings last summer to gather input. The agency also talked to residents on its own and compared Bluffton to nearly 40 similar cities across the U.S., Murdy said.

He also suggested several future projects for the town that would strengthen the brand, such as placing more signs on U.S. 278, making street signs consistent throughout the town, adding pedestrian and bicycle paths, and creating landscaping guidelines to protect live oaks.

He also mentioned building an "appropriately sized" inn in Old Town.

Town spokeswoman Debbie Szpanka said this was the first time Bluffton officials had heard Murdy's project ideas and would need to study them.

"Town staff and council will have to see what ideas fit into budgets, projects and feasibility," she said in an email.

For a limited time, mortgage giant Fannie Mae will give eligible homebuyers in 27 states up to 3.5 percent in closing cost assistance when they purchase a HomePath property during the property’s “First Look” period.

During that 20-day period, buyers who either plan to be owner-occupants or are part of a public entity are able to submit offers on HomePathproperties — foreclosed homes owned by Fannie Mae — without competition from investors.

“This incentive will provide more opportunities for families to find a property to call home,” said Jay Ryan, Fannie Mae’s vice president of REO sales, in a statement.

“Our goal is to sell as many HomePath properties as possible to owner-occupants who will stabilize neighborhoods and help the housing recovery.”

To be eligible for the closing cost assistance, an initial offer on a home must be submitted between Feb. 14 and March 31, and close on or before May 31, Fannie Mae said.

Among the states where the assistance is available are California, Florida, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and New Jersey. It is not available in Texas or New York, among other states.

Source: Fannie Mae

FILE: Shoppers walk toward the parking lot from the Pineland Station shopping center on Hilton Head Island in October 2013. SARAH WELLIVER — Sarah Welliver Buy PhotoPhoto by: SARAH WELLIVER — Sarah Welliver Buy Photo

Hilton Head Island Mayor Drew Laughlin said Tuesday he would consider selling 10 acres of town land behind Pineland Station to the shopping center's developers, who are planning to overhaul the plaza.

"My hope is that if they are serious and willing to work with us, then we'd be willing to work with them," he said.

Wheeler Development of Virginia Beach, Va., the firm in charge of the north-island shopping center, expressed interest in October in tearing down and rebuilding much of the plaza off William Hilton Parkway.

"I'd say we're pretty close to having something to share" with the public, regional partner Jonathan Guion said Tuesday. "We're negotiating with tenants and moving forward."

Part of the developers' plan is to build shops farther from the road to give the center a staggered look, unlike a typical strip mall, Laughlin said. The 10 acres behind the center could provide the space necessary for that.

Laughlin said five of the 10 acres are wetlands and unsuitable for development. But the five acres adjacent to the center are usable. He declined to provide a sale price.

"I don't see any particular use for the property for us," he said. "It was not property that was purchased to be open space."

Guion, though, said the wetlands could pose a problem.

"The wetlands might preclude somebody from doing something in a major way," Guion said. "I'll have to leave it at that."

Guion's company has not yet presented plans to the town and is still deciding on designs, he said.

He said in October that Stein Mart and Starbucks would remain, while much of the shopping center would be torn down and rebuilt, according to tentative plans. Construction would occur in phases, so shops could remain open during construction and move into new space after it's completed, he said.

Guion has said the center needs renovation, citing a high vacancy rate. Changes would take about two years to complete, he said.

JetBlue Airways will fly for the first time into Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport on Thursday morning, beginning daily nonstop service to Boston and New York City.

The low-cost carriers' new flights to and from Boston's Logan International and New York City's John F. Kennedy International airports have excited Savannah airport officials and Hilton Head Island business leaders because affordable air service has returned to the Lowcountry, they say.

"Any time you can provide the flying public -- residents or visitors -- an option of high-value air service, that's always a positive," Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce president Bill Miles said Wednesday.

Ticket prices at the Savannah airport have soared in recent years as carriers such as Delta Air Lines reduced flights and low-cost airline AirTran Air Ways pulled out in 2008.

Airfare averaged $493 a ticket in the first quarter of last year, tying with Washington Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., for the third-highest average ticket price in the country, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation and OAG Aviation Worldwide statistics.

But the addition of JetBlue has already softened the hefty prices, airport director Greg Kelly said. Airfare is down 10 to 30 percent since the carrier signed on in the fall. The decline is particularly marked for flights by other carriers to New York City, where JetBlue will fly twice daily, he said.

Other airlines are adding flights to the Big Apple, as well. Delta, for example, has opened two more flights, Kelly said.

"This is something we've been working on for several years, trying to get an additional low-cost carrier down here since AirTran left," Kelly said. "Our number of seats went down significantly, so we definitely needed to add more service."

Tickets for the new flights were priced between $170 and $209 Wednesday afternoon, according to the carrier's website.

Chamber officials hope cheaper service to the airport means more visitors to Hilton Head. The organization has invested $100,000 as part of a marketing campaign that puts JetBlue and familiar images of the island before readers' eyes in the New York Post and The Boston Globe. It also has placed advertisements on hundreds of taxis in both cities and has pledged similar funds for broadcast and search-engine advertising in the Northeast this spring.

"JetBlue understands that 48 percent of fliers landing at the airport are coming to the island, ... and their marketing reflects that," Miles said in a newsletter to chamber members, citing an airport study.

Brian Bell, a JetBlue pilot who will captain the first flight Thursday from Boston to Savannah, said that number could increase.

"There's always been a draw down here," said Bell, a Hilton Head Island resident who has flown for JetBlue for eight years. "People have been waiting a long time, and I'm really excited about it."

File: The crowd watches as Luke Donald hits from the packed sand next to the 15th hole during the final round of the 45th RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing at Harbour Town Golf Links in Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island, S.C. JAY KARR — Staff photo Buy PhotoPhoto by: JAY KARR — Staff photo Buy Photo

Four members of Team RBC -- Luke Donald, Ernie Els, Matt Kuchar and Hunter Mahan -- have committed to compete at the 46th annual RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing to be held April 14 through 20 over the famed Harbour Town Golf Links.

Graeme McDowell, Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker, all previously committed, are also members of Team RBC.

Donald has earned five victories on the PGA Tour to go with eight International titles. The Englishman now calls Chicago home since graduating from Northwestern University with a degree in Art Theory and Practice. He has competed at Harbour Town eight times and has finished second or third in half of those tournaments.

Els is one of the most successful golfers in the history of the game, having won 70 tournaments since turning professional in 1989, including three major championships, two World Golf Championships and a record seven World Match Play titles. He has competed at Harbour Town 14 times, carded six top-10 finishes and earned more than $1.3 million.

Kuchar enjoyed a great 2013 season, earning two of his six wins on the PGA Tour. His victories at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and the Memorial Tournament helped him finish the season in second place on the FedExCup Standings. He has competed in the RBC Heritage 10 times since turning pro in 2000.

Mahan is one of four golfers in the PGA Tour exclusive boy band "Golf Boys" (the other three golfers are Rickie Fowler, Ben Crane and Bubba Watson). The California native and Texas resident has earned five PGA Tour victories and will be making his third start at Harbour Town.

Daily tickets and week-long badges for this year's tournament are now on sale online at www.rbcheritage.com or by calling the tournament office at 843-671-2448.

2014 RBC Heritage Field

Stewart Cink

Glen Day

Luke Donald

Ernie Els

Jim Furyk

Matt Kuchar

Justin Leonard

Hunter Mahan

Graeme McDowell

Carl Pettersson

Brandt Snedeker

Boo Weekley

Note: The field is tentative until released by the PGA Tour.