Mortgage interest deduction: The major advantage to owning real property comes from the deductibility of the interest of a home mortgage or a home equity loan. In order to qualify for an income tax deduction, the loan must be for your home or a vacation home that is not rented to others.  The deduction must be taken as an itemized deduction in Schedule A of your federal tax return.
Property tax deduction: real estate taxes paid to any state or local governments are also deductible on your federal return. Generally, the taxes must be based on the assessed value of the real property and must be charged uniformly against all property under the jurisdiction of the taxing authority.
Capital gains exemption: Once you sell your residence, you may exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 for married couples) from any realized capital gains.  In order to qualify, you must meet certain requirements: among other things, you must have lived in that home for at least two of the five years prior to the sale, and not have excluded gain from the sale of another home two years prior to the sale.