Your first Arizona home.
Seven steps,
from first call to keys.
A first Arizona purchase runs in seven steps: a consultation and buyer agreement, pre-approval, the search, the offer, the contract period with inspections and appraisal, a final walkthrough, and closing. Budget for more than the down payment, and check whether a state or county down payment assistance program fits you before you start touring.
Three things come first.
I ask every buyer for three things before we tour a single house. Each one saves you from falling for a house you cannot buy.
The first one is not optional. Since August 2024, an agent who belongs to an MLS and works with a buyer must have a signed written agreement before touring a home. That is an industry rule, not a state law, and the agreement states what the agent is paid. See buyer agent compensation for how that works.
A signed buyer agreement
It makes me your agent, and it sets the term, the area and my compensation. You sign it at the consultation with the disclosures that go with it, including the Arizona Buyer Advisory, the state's checklist of what to investigate on any home.
A real number from a lender
A pre-approval, or proof of funds if you are paying cash. It gives us your ceiling and a monthly payment you are comfortable with. See getting pre-approved.
A defined buy box
We fill in a worksheet together: the areas or ZIP codes you choose, bedrooms and baths, your top must-haves, deal-breakers, pool and HOA preferences, condition, and your all-in monthly payment.
Seven steps, in order.
Most Arizona purchases run 30 to 45 days from accepted offer to keys. The search before that takes as long as it takes. Steps 1 and 2 happen before we tour. Steps 5 to 7 run on contract deadlines.
- 1. Consultation and buyer agreement.We walk through the process and your worksheet, and you sign the buyer agreement. If you want a home my brokerage has listed, I explain limited representation first. It happens only with your written consent and the seller's.
- 2. Pre-approval.You talk to a lender and get pre-approved, or show proof of funds. I can introduce you to lenders I trust. I am not paid for any introduction. You are free to use anyone.
- 3. Search and tours.I set up an MLS search that sends you new listings as they hit. Before you fall for a house, I pull its history: prior sales, days on market, price changes and nearby sales.
- 4. Offer and negotiation.I call the listing agent, run the comparable sales, and we set price and terms together on the Arizona REALTORS purchase contract. See making an offer.
- 5. Under contract.Earnest money goes to escrow, the inspection period opens, your lender orders the appraisal, and title searches the property. See the purchase contract.
- 6. Final walkthrough.My practice is to walk the house at least three days before closing. If something is wrong, that leaves the seller the three days the contract gives to fix it, and we still close on time.
- 7. Closing.You sign, funds go to escrow, the deed records with the Maricopa County Recorder, and you get keys.
The first ten days matter most.
Once the seller accepts, the Arizona REALTORS contract runs on calendar days with set deadlines. See the purchase contract for the full timeline.
The 10-day inspection period is your broadest protection. Inspect, read the SPDS and the insurance claims history, review any HOA documents, and get a homeowners insurance quote before it ends. If you want repairs or want out, the notice goes on the BINSR (Buyer's Inspection Notice and Seller's Response) inside that window. See the inspection period and BINSR, earnest money and HOA disclosures.
Plan beyond the down payment.
Cash to close is your down payment plus closing costs, less your earnest money, which is credited back at closing. Your loan program sets the down payment. Within three business days after your lender receives your application, it must give you a Loan Estimate that itemizes the loan's costs. The Closing Disclosure, at least three business days before closing, gives the final figures.
Run your own numbers with the affordability calculator and the mortgage calculator, then confirm them with your lender.
- Earnest money.Paid to escrow at acceptance. The amount is negotiated, not set by law, and it counts toward your costs at closing.
- Inspections.Paid during the inspection period: a general inspection, termite, and any specialists the house calls for.
- Appraisal.If you finance, you usually pay it when your lender asks, often up front, and it is not refundable.
- Closing costs.Loan fees, prepaid taxes and insurance, your share of the escrow fee, the lender's title policy, and recording. See title and escrow and property taxes.
- HOA charges.In an HOA community, transfer or capital improvement fees are negotiated in the contract, and prepaid dues are usually yours.
- Agent compensation.If the seller offers less than your agreement states, you may owe the balance. We usually ask the seller for a concession to cover it.
Down payment assistance programs.
Several public programs help Arizona buyers with a down payment or closing costs. Each one works through participating lenders, and each sets its own income limits, loan rules and education requirements. Eligibility and terms change, and funding can run out. Check the program's own site and a participating lender before you count on it. These are the ones the official pages describe:
- HOME Plus.Run by the Arizona Industrial Development Authority and available statewide. It offers up to 4 percent toward the down payment and closing costs as a no-interest, no-payment second mortgage that is forgiven after 60 months. Sell or refinance before then and it must be repaid. There is an income limit, and one borrower must complete a homebuyer education course before closing.
- Arizona Is Home.Listed by the Arizona Department of Housing as a statewide program. It is a silent second mortgage, meaning no monthly payment, repaid when the home is sold, of up to $30,000 for households at or below 80 percent of area median income, or up to $20,000 from 81 to 120 percent. The funds can go to the down payment, a rate buydown (paying up front for a lower interest rate) or closing costs. It is for buyers who have not owned real estate in the last three years, and it requires an 8-hour homebuyer class and a one-on-one meeting with a HUD-certified housing counselor.
- Home in Five Advantage.Offered by the Industrial Development Authorities of the City of Phoenix and Maricopa County for homes in Maricopa County. Its August 2025 guidelines size the assistance as a second loan of 3 to 6 percent of the first mortgage. Some options are forgiven over three or seven years, and others are repaid. Only the seven-year option requires first-time buyer status. Income limits apply.
- Not here.The Rural Arizona Is Home mortgage program, listed on the Department of Housing's page, is not offered in Maricopa or Pima counties.
Protect the loan and the money.
Your lender rechecks your credit and employment right before closing. Do not open new credit, change jobs or move money you cannot document until you have keys. The full list is on getting pre-approved.
Never wire money based on emailed instructions. Call the escrow officer at a number you found yourself and confirm the instructions out loud. Funds must be wired or sent by cashier's check, and you bring a government photo ID to signing. You get keys after the deed records with Maricopa County, usually the afternoon of closing day.
Common questions
Do I need a buyer agreement before touring a home?
Yes, if your agent belongs to an MLS. Since August 2024, a signed written agreement is required before touring. It is an industry rule, not a state law, and it states what your agent is paid.
How long does it take to buy a home in Arizona?
Most Arizona purchases run 30 to 45 days from accepted offer to keys. The search before that varies.
What do I need to budget besides the down payment?
Inspections, the appraisal, closing costs such as loan fees, prepaid taxes and insurance, your share of escrow and the lender's title policy, and any HOA fees. Your lender's Loan Estimate itemizes the loan costs within three business days of your application.
Is there down payment assistance in Maricopa County?
Yes. HOME Plus and Arizona Is Home are statewide, and Home in Five Advantage covers Maricopa County. Eligibility, income limits and terms change, so check with the program and a participating lender.
Who counts as a first-time buyer?
It depends on the program. Arizona Is Home, for example, defines it as someone who has not owned real estate in the last three years.
When do I get the keys?
After the deed records with Maricopa County, usually the afternoon of closing day.
Questions about your first purchase?
Start with a consultation. I will walk you through every step, build your buy box with you, and introduce you to lenders I trust if you want that. I am not paid for any introduction. Call or text 480-485-4261. If you already have an agent under contract, ask them first.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Sources: National Association of REALTORS, Written Buyer Agreements 101; the Arizona REALTORS Residential Resale Real Estate Purchase Contract (revised November 2025) from Arizona REALTORS: the revision notice and the published form; Arizona REALTORS contract series by K. Michelle Lind, Esq., Part 3(a), The Financing Section and Part 5, Disclosure; the Arizona Buyer Advisory (February 2026); CFPB, What is a Loan Estimate? and What is a Closing Disclosure?; Arizona Industrial Development Authority, HOME Plus DPA; Arizona Department of Housing, Programs for Homebuyers; and the Industrial Development Authorities of the City of Phoenix and Maricopa County, Home in Five Down Payment Assistance Guidelines (August 1, 2025). All checked 28 October 2026.