To answer the other part of your question - don't put the property tax amount in the 1098 screen since you aren't using an escrow account. Use the next section on the deductions page. As the expert said, report what you actually paid in 2021 (your spring payment for the second part of the 2020 bill and the fall payment for the first half of the 2021 bill). I keep the stub from the Santa Clara County Assessor to refer back to when filing taxes - or use the online receipt if you pay that way.
