What Happens After Your Home Goes Under Contract in Arizona?

Oct 13

After a home goes under contract in Arizona, escrow opens, the buyer deposits earnest money, and a set of deadlines starts: the seller's disclosure within 3 days, a 10-day inspection period, the buyer's loan update within 10 days, then the appraisal, repairs, final walkthrough, signing, and recording with Maricopa County. For a typical Chandler or Tempe sale, the whole thing runs on the standard Arizona purchase contract, and every day on it counts.

What happens in the first few days after an offer is accepted?

Think of acceptance as the starting gun. From that moment, the contract's clock is running, and it counts calendar days, not business days. Weekends count. So does the Fourth of July.

Escrow opens with a title and escrow company. In Arizona, that company handles the closing, not a closing attorney. The buyer deposits earnest money with escrow, which shows the seller they're serious.

Within 3 days of acceptance, the seller owes the buyer the Seller's Property Disclosure Statement, called the SPDS. It's the seller's written account of what they know about the home. If you're selling, give it real thought, because a complete SPDS protects you later. My post on what Arizona actually requires you to disclose walks through what belongs in it.

Within 5 days, the seller also delivers the home's insurance claims history. If the home is in an HOA, Arizona law gives the association 10 days after written notice of the pending sale to deliver its resale documents, and its fee for that is capped at $400, plus possible rush or update fees.

What happens during the inspection period?

The standard contract gives the buyer 10 days for inspections. It's a fill-in blank, so some buyers shorten it to make their offer stronger. This is the buyer's window to learn everything about the house: hire inspectors, read the SPDS, look over the HOA documents, check insurance quotes, and confirm whatever else matters to them.

If the buyer wants something fixed, they send the Buyer's Inspection Notice and Seller's Response, known as the BINSR, before the inspection period ends. The seller then has 5 days to respond. After that, the buyer has 5 days to accept the seller's answer or cancel. I break down each step, and how sellers can get ahead of it, in my post on the Arizona inspection period and BINSR.

One timing detail trips people up. Buyers can object to the SPDS, HOA documents, title commitment, or claims history within 5 days of receiving them, or by the end of the inspection period, whichever is later. So a late HOA packet can stretch the buyer's window on that item.

When does the appraisal and loan approval happen?

If the buyer is financing, the lender orders an appraisal early in escrow. Within 10 days of acceptance, the buyer owes the seller a Loan Status Update, or LSU. It tells the seller where the loan stands, and it's one of the first real signs of how the deal will go.

On a $1M+ home in Chandler or Tempe, the buyer is often using a jumbo loan. The 2026 conforming loan limit in Maricopa County is $832,750, and loans above that tend to come with stricter appraisal and reserve rules.

If the home appraises below the price, the buyer has 5 days after getting notice of the value to cancel and keep their earnest money. If they don't act in that window, the appraisal contingency is waived. What each side can do when the number comes in short is its own conversation, so I cover it in what happens if a $1M+ home appraises low.

Meanwhile, the title company sends a title commitment. That's their report on who owns the home and what liens or recorded items are attached to it. Buyers review it with the same objection timing as the other documents.

What happens in the last week before closing?

For sellers, this is repair week. Unless the BINSR set a different date, agreed repairs must be finished, with paid receipts, 3 days before close of escrow. Don't let this slide to the last minute, because good contractors book up.

A missed deadline can give the buyer grounds to send a notice of failure to comply. After that notice, the other side has a 3-day cure period to fix it.

For buyers, this is walkthrough week. In the last few days before closing, you walk the home to confirm it's in the condition the contract promised and that agreed repairs were done. Bring the BINSR and the receipts.

Signing usually happens in the day or two before closing. Both sides sign their documents with the escrow company, and the buyer's lender sends the loan documents for signing too.

How does closing day work in Arizona?

In Arizona, close of escrow happens when the deed records with the Maricopa County Recorder. Not when you sign. Not when you shake hands. Recording is the finish line.

Once the title company confirms recording, the keys usually transfer to the buyer, unless the contract includes a post-possession agreement that lets the seller stay a bit longer. I cover the details, including how to protect yourself from wire fraud, in my post on what happens on closing day in Arizona.

A quick note for sellers. Your listing agent should be tracking every one of these dates for you. If you want to see how I run a listing from the first meeting through recording, here's how your home gets sold when we work together.

Every deadline above comes from the standard Arizona purchase contract. Forms get updated, and your signed contract is the one that controls, so always check your own dates.

Quick answers

How long does it take to close on a house in Arizona?

It depends on what the buyer and seller agree to in the contract. Cash deals can close faster, while financed deals need time for the inspection period, appraisal, and loan approval.

Can a buyer back out after going under contract in Arizona?

Yes, within certain windows. Under the standard contract, a buyer can cancel during the inspection period or within 5 days after notice of a low appraisal, and in those cases the earnest money generally goes back to the buyer.

When does a sale officially close in Arizona?

A sale closes when the deed records with the county recorder, which in Chandler and Tempe means Maricopa County. Keys usually change hands once the title company confirms recording.

If you're under contract now, or about to be, and want a second set of eyes on your dates, I'm glad to help. Call or text me at 480-448-2020, or book a time to talk.

Ben Graham

You’ve made it. Now you want a home that finally feels like it.

Since 2011, I’ve helped move-up and move-in buyers do exactly that across South Tempe and South Chandler. More land, more quiet, more character, without leaving the city behind. If you’re buying or selling above $1M in South Tempe or South Chandler, you want an advisor who knows the ground, not a salesperson who knows a script.

That’s the whole job, and it’s the part I love most.

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Ben is a husband, father, and full-time real estate advisor based in Chandler. Since 2011, across more than 500 transactions, he’s guided buyers and sellers through the Southeast Valley’s best neighborhoods.

His approach is simple: teach the market like a teacher, protect your equity like it’s his own, and tell you the truth even when the truth is “wait.” Clear communication, a proven plan, and your interests first.

Most of Ben’s clients fall into two camps.

The move-up buyer who’s outgrown a great starter home in Chandler or Tempe and is ready for something that feels like an arrival. More space, more privacy, more character, same easy access to four freeways, great schools, and Sky Harbor.

The move-in buyer relocating from out of town who needs someone who actually knows which street holds its value and which one only looks like it does.

He also represents sellers across South Tempe and South Chandler who want their home priced right in week one and marketed like the asset it is.

Faith and family are the center of how Ben lives and works. He’s a follower of Christ, a husband, and a father, raising his kids in Chandler with his wife Sarah. The family is active at CCV, the kids attend Valley Christian, and they support foster care and adoption. One of their sons joined the family that way.

Clients often tell Ben his faith is part of why they trusted him with one of the biggest decisions of their lives. He doesn’t take that lightly.

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https://www.bengrahamrealtor.com/