Buyer guide
What happens after your offer is accepted in Arizona
Once both sides sign, the clock starts. Most of the deadlines that protect you fall in the first ten days.
Short answer
After acceptance on the standard Arizona resale contract, you deposit earnest money with the escrow company, receive the seller's disclosures, and have 10 days to inspect the home and ask for repairs or cancel. Then come the HOA documents if there is an association, the appraisal and loan approval if you are financing, a final walkthrough and closing. A financed sale usually takes 30 to 45 days in all.
The timeline at a glance
| When | What happens | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance | Both sides have signed. Escrow opens with the title company. | Agents, escrow officer |
| Right away | Earnest money is deposited. Inspections are scheduled. | Buyer, buyer's agent |
| About day 3 | Seller delivers the property disclosure statement. | Seller |
| About day 5 | Seller delivers the insurance claims history. | Seller |
| By day 10 | Inspections finished. Buyer sends a written notice: accept, request repairs or cancel. | Buyer |
| Within 5 days after that | Seller responds to repair requests. | Seller |
| Within 5 days after that | Buyer accepts the seller's response or cancels. | Buyer |
| First two weeks | Title report and HOA documents arrive for review. Appraisal is ordered. | Escrow, HOA, lender |
| Before closing | Loan approved. Repairs completed. Final walkthrough. | Lender, seller, buyer |
| Closing day | Sign, fund, record. Keys. | Everyone |
Earnest money
Earnest money is your deposit. It shows the seller you are serious, and it is applied to your purchase at closing. The escrow company holds it, not the seller and not the agents.
If you are wiring it from another state, confirm the wire instructions by calling the escrow officer at a number you know is real. Never rely on an email alone.
The inspection period
This is the most important stretch for a buyer. You have the right to inspect anything about the property that matters to you.
In Lake Havasu, a thorough buyer usually orders:
- A general home inspection.
- A pool and spa inspection, if there is one.
- An air conditioning inspection. Systems work hard here.
- A roof inspection, especially on flat or older roofs.
- A sewer line camera, on older homes.
- A termite inspection.
This is also the time to measure the garage against your boat or RV, read the HOA rules, get an insurance quote, check the property tax record, and visit in person if you have not yet.
Before the period ends, you give the seller a written notice. You can accept the home as it is, ask for specific repairs, or cancel. If you say nothing by the deadline, you are generally treated as having accepted the condition of the home.
Repair requests
If you ask for repairs, the seller has five days to respond. They can agree to all, some or none. You then have five days to accept that answer or cancel.
Sellers are not required to fix everything. Certain basic systems are expected to be working at closing under the contract. Paige will help you decide which items are worth asking for and which are better handled as a price conversation.
Seller disclosures
You should receive two things early.
- The seller's property disclosure statement. Several pages of questions about the home's history, systems, repairs and known problems.
- An insurance claims history covering the last five years, or as long as the seller has owned it.
Read both before your inspection so your inspector can look closely at anything they mention.
HOA documents
If the home is in an association, you will receive its governing documents, rules, budget and a statement of dues and fees. Arizona law sets how quickly associations must provide these once escrow asks.
You get a set number of days to review them and can cancel if something in them does not work for you. Do not wait for the packet to read the parking and rental rules. Ask for those before you make the offer. See questions to ask about HOA and PUD communities.
Title
The title company researches the property's ownership and sends a title commitment. It lists easements, restrictions and anything recorded against the property. You have a short window to object to items in it. Paige and the escrow officer can explain what each line means.
Appraisal and loan
If you are financing, the lender orders an appraisal and finishes underwriting. Answer document requests the same day you get them. Do not open new credit, change jobs or move large sums between accounts without talking to your lender first.
If the appraisal comes in below the price, the contract gives you options. Paige will go through them with you.
Final walkthrough
A few days before closing, you confirm the home is in the condition you agreed to, that repairs were done, and that nothing that was meant to stay has left.
If you are not in town, Paige can do it on a live video call. She runs the faucets, the air conditioning, the appliances, the garage doors and the pool equipment while you watch.
Closing
You sign your documents with a notary. That can be at the title office, or where you live if you are out of state. Your funds are wired. The lender funds the loan. The deed records with Mohave County. That moment is close of escrow, and the home is yours.
Buying from a distance? See how each of these steps works remotely.
Where buyers lose time
- Booking inspectors late. Good ones fill up, and you only have 10 days.
- Waiting on HOA documents to learn about rules they could have asked about up front.
- Slow replies to the lender.
- Forgetting insurance until the week of closing.
- Missing the time difference. Deadlines are in Arizona time, and Arizona does not change clocks.
Questions buyers ask
How long is the inspection period in Arizona?
Ten days after contract acceptance is the default on the standard resale contract. Buyer and seller can agree to a different number in the offer. Day one is the day after acceptance.
Can I back out after my offer is accepted?
During the inspection period you can cancel if you disapprove of items found in your inspections, following the notice steps in the contract, and normally keep your earnest money. Other contingencies, such as the loan and the HOA documents, have their own rules and deadlines. After those pass, cancelling can put your earnest money at risk.
When do I get the keys in Arizona?
At close of escrow, which is when the deed records with the county, unless the contract says otherwise. That is usually the same day or the day after you sign and the funds arrive.
Who pays for inspections?
The buyer chooses and pays for inspections. Common ones in Lake Havasu are a general home inspection, a pool inspection, an air conditioning check, a roof inspection, and sometimes a camera inspection of the sewer line.