start date for long term / short term capital gain determination

[Account Closed]

what is the reference date to determine long term / short term capital gains for a real property?

Is it the actual payment date? the sale contract date? or the vesting date?

I tried to look it up but found nothing conclusive

I read that stocks ownership starts at the moment of trade and not at the settlment date; so should i assume that the property's ownership starts at the payment date? 

I have a substantial time spread between the payment / sale contract and the vesting of a property i acquired and need to know from where i should start the 12 months count to fall into the long term capital gains

[Lance Lvovsky]

From purchase date to sale date. Doesn’t matter when the County records the deed. On the actual deed, the date of purchase and the date of sale would be known, so use those dates.