If You Can Iitemize and have FTC carryover, then a deduction could be better. if taken as a credit the current year FTC is used before the carryover which can result in losing some of the carryovers due to the expiration of the carryover period. in your situation, it's not going to matter since you're going to lose it because you can't itemize or the carryover period expires.
property tax on a foreign home is not a foreign tax eligible for the credit unless it's based on income earned on the home - ie it's a rental property. otherwise, it's only a schedule A deduction under taxes. property taxes paid on the value of the home even if a rental is not eligible for the FTC just as a deduction against the rental property income.
