What Happens After You Accept an Offer in Arizona?
Once you accept an offer in Arizona, escrow opens and a series of contractual deadlines starts running. ClozeEZ carries a by-owner sale through that stretch: the guided SPDS, inspector scheduling, repair requests and your response, and title and escrow coordination. A typical financed sale closes in 30 to 45 days; cash can close in 10 to 14. The sequence is: open escrow and deposit earnest money, deliver the Seller's Property Disclosure Statement, get through the buyer's ten-day inspection period and any BINSR response, clear the appraisal and loan conditions, complete the final walkthrough, then record the deed and disburse funds.
Days 1 to 3: escrow opens
The signed contract and the buyer's earnest money go to the escrow agent, which in Arizona is almost always the title company named in the contract. Escrow issues a receipt for the deposit, opens the file, and orders the title search. Confirm the deposit actually arrives within the contract's deadline; an unfunded earnest money deposit is an early red flag worth acting on rather than waiting out.
This is also when the title company begins looking for anything clouding title: existing loans, tax liens, judgments, easements, or HOA liens. The result is a title commitment listing what must be cleared before closing, which is usually just your mortgage payoff.
Days 1 to 5: your disclosures go out
The standard Arizona contract requires the seller to deliver the Seller's Property Disclosure Statement (SPDS) within days of acceptance, not weeks. The buyer then has a short contractual window after receiving it to review and respond to what it discloses. Late delivery hands the buyer leverage and cancellation rights you do not want to give away. ClozeEZ's guided SPDS form is where you complete and e-sign it.
If the home is in an HOA community, order the association's resale disclosure package now. Association turnaround time is one of the most common causes of delayed Arizona closings, and it is entirely avoidable by ordering early. Homes built before 1978 also require the federal lead-based-paint disclosure.
Days 1 to 10: the buyer's inspection period
The standard contract gives the buyer ten days from acceptance to inspect and investigate, unless the parties negotiated a different length. A licensed inspector typically examines the roof, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, water heater, appliances, drainage, and structure. Buyers often add termite, pool equipment, sewer scope, or solar reviews.
Due diligence is broader than the physical inspection: this is also when a buyer verifies insurance availability and cost, reviews HOA documents, and checks permits or square footage. Keep the home accessible and make sure the electrical panel, attic, and pool equipment are reachable.
The BINSR: the buyer's three options
By the end of the inspection period the buyer must deliver the Buyer's Inspection Notice and Seller's Response. They can accept the property as-is and proceed; cancel, typically recovering the earnest money if they disapproved of inspection items in good faith within the period; or request specific corrections, which keeps the contract alive while you negotiate.
If the buyer lets the period lapse without delivering a notice, the standard contract treats that as acceptance of the property's condition. If they do request repairs, you respond within the contract's response window, agreeing to all, some, or none. Declining everything is allowed; the buyer then chooses to proceed or cancel.
Practical guidance: fix or credit health, safety, and loan-blocking items, because the next buyer's inspector will find them too. Hold the line on cosmetic and wear items. Credits at closing often beat repairs late in escrow, since they avoid contractor scheduling risk. Whatever you agree to, finish it before the final walkthrough and keep receipts. ClozeEZ records your item-by-item response in its transaction portal.
Weeks 2 to 5: appraisal and loan conditions
A financed buyer's lender orders an appraisal. If it comes in at or above the contract price, the loan proceeds. If it comes in short, the parties renegotiate, the buyer covers the gap in cash, or the deal can end under the appraisal contingency. Accurate pricing at the start is what prevents appraisal trouble at the end.
Meanwhile the lender works through underwriting conditions: employment verification, updated statements, insurance binder, HOA questionnaire. This stage is largely out of your hands but is where timelines most often slip. Ask for a weekly status update rather than waiting for a surprise.
The last week: signing, walkthrough, recording, funding
Escrow prepares the settlement statement showing every debit and credit: your payoff, prorated property taxes to the day of closing, title and escrow fees, HOA transfer fees, and your net proceeds. Review it carefully and ask about anything you do not recognize before you sign.
Both parties sign, frequently with a mobile notary. The buyer completes a final walkthrough to confirm the property's condition and that agreed repairs were done. The buyer's funds and the lender's wire arrive at escrow, the deed records with the county recorder, and escrow disburses, paying off your loan, paying the fees, and wiring your proceeds, commonly the same day as recording or the next business day.
One security note worth repeating because it costs Arizona sellers real money every year: wire fraud targets real estate closings. Always confirm wire instructions by phone with your escrow officer, using a number you looked up independently rather than one from an email.
What can still go wrong
The common failure points, in rough order of frequency: the buyer's financing falls through during underwriting, the appraisal comes in below the contract price, inspection findings lead to an impasse on repairs, HOA documents surface a restriction the buyer cannot accept, or a title issue appears that takes time to clear.
Most are survivable with communication and flexibility on terms. Keep the transaction moving by hitting your own deadlines exactly, from your disclosures to your BINSR response to your agreed repairs, because a seller who is never the reason for a delay has far more standing to ask for cooperation when something else slips.
Frequently asked questions
How long does escrow take in Arizona?
Typically 30 to 45 days for a financed purchase and 10 to 14 days for cash, though the contract sets the actual closing date the parties agreed to.
When do I have to deliver the SPDS?
Within days of acceptance under the standard Arizona contract, not weeks. The buyer then gets a short contractual window after receiving it to review and respond. Late delivery gives the buyer leverage and cancellation rights.
What if the buyer asks for repairs I do not want to make?
You may decline any or all of them on the BINSR. The buyer then decides whether to proceed with your response or cancel. Health, safety, and loan-blocking items are usually worth fixing or crediting since the next buyer's inspector will find them; cosmetic requests are where sellers reasonably hold firm.
What happens if the appraisal comes in low?
The parties renegotiate the price, the buyer covers the difference in cash, or the buyer can cancel under the appraisal contingency. Pricing accurately from real comparable sales at the start is the best protection against it.
When do I actually get my money?
After the deed records with the county. Escrow pays off your mortgage, pays the closing fees, and wires your net proceeds, commonly the same day as recording or the next business day. Always confirm wire instructions by phone using a number you looked up yourself.