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From energy tax credits to vacation home deductions, check out these tax tips for homeowners looking ahead to 2010 returns.

Tax planning for homeowners should start well in advance of the April 15 filing deadline each year. If you delay until the last minute, it might be too late to maximize tax credits and tax deductions. These tax tips for homeowners looking ahead to 2010 returns explain some of the things you can do now that'll pay off later on your 1040.

MoneyWatch.com: When Scouring the Housing Market, Watch out for these All-Too-Common Lies, Tricks and Exaggerations

MoneyWatch.com - <!-- sphereit start-->This story, by Ilyce Glink, originally appeared on CBS' Moneywatch.com

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – March 10, 2010 – For William and Lida Negron, their lender’s decision to modify their mortgage seemed to be the key to holding on to their home.

William Negron, in his mid-70s, lost his job in car sales two years ago. The possibility of losing their home put “so much stress on him,” said son Carlos Negron.

CHICAGO – March 10, 2010 – Citing concerns about increased mortgage fraud, four organizations representing more than 35,000 real estate appraisers have voiced their opposition to changes to an Obama administration program that will encourage “short sales” of homes. The Appraisal Institute leads the coalition that also includes the American Society of Appraisers, the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers and the National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – March 10, 2010 – The campaign to defeat a vote-on-everything amendment to the Florida Constitution released a video showing the economic impact on St.

RISMEDIA, March 11, 2010—A new national poll of America’s 18-29 year-olds by Harvard’s Institute of Politics (IOP), located at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, finds that six in ten (60%) are concerned about meeting their current bills and obligations and almost half (45%) report that their personal financial situation is bad. Among America’s undergraduate population, 45% are concerned about their ability to stay in college given the state of the economy.

RISMEDIA, March 11, 2010—(MCT)— By Jennifer Waters - U.S. consumers are starting to look like a frugal, debt-fearing lot as they pay down billions of dollars in credit card obligations. But an alarming trend is emerging: A small but growing number of people are skipping mortgage payments in favor of paying their credit card bills.

In an unprecedented shift, for some consumers having a credit card in good standing appears to have taken priority over having a roof over one’s head, experts said.

RISMEDIA, March 11, 2010—RealtyTrac, a leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, released its February 2010 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows foreclosure filings—default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions—were reported on 308,524 U.S. properties during the month, a decrease of 2% from the previous month but still 6% above the level reported in February 2009. The report also shows one in every 418 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing in February.

RISMEDIA, March 11, 2010— Business Building by Margaret Kelly - It’s not likely anything could surprise us as much as the sheer magnitude of the slowdown we’re experiencing. Just be prepared for anything going forward.

Two out of five real estate professionals who use a smartphone to conduct business use a Blackberry (41.2 percent), while 26.0 percent use an iPhone and 14.0 percent choose a Palm, according to the 2010 Smartphone Survey by Center for REALTOR® Technology.