Why Work With an Agent
Buying a home means dozens of forms, deadlines, and specialists you've never had to coordinate before. A licensed agent isn't just a door-opener. Here's what the job actually covers:
- Objective information. I'll show you homes you can comfortably afford and point out neighborhoods that fit needs you may not have named yet.
- Comprehensive search power. Full MLS access, plus properties that aren't actively advertised online.
- Negotiation knowledge. Comps, seller motivation, and days-on-market data inform every offer and counter.
- Technical expertise. Contracts, addenda, inspectors, lenders, title, I keep the whole file organized and on schedule.
Get Your Finances Ready
The further out you start, the more room you have to fix small problems before they cost you rate or approval. A rough timeline:
~12 months out
Pull your credit reports (AnnualCreditReport.com) and FICO scores. Pay down revolving balances and put every bill on autopay, one 30-day-late payment can cost 100 points.
~6 months out
Research loan programs, interview a couple of lenders, and build toward at least 3 months of expenses in reserve on top of your down payment.
~3 months out
Keep credit card utilization under 30% of your limit, that snapshot is what the FICO formula scores, even if you pay in full monthly.
Aim for at least a 5% down payment; 10% opens up more loan options. Once you're under contract, don't open or close accounts, don't change jobs, and don't move money out of the accounts your lender verified, all of it can jeopardize final approval.
Get Pre-Approved
Pre-qualification is an estimate. Pre-approval is a lender committing to lend you a specific amount, and it's what makes sellers take your offer seriously. Even though it involves a hard credit inquiry, the small ding is worth the leverage.
To get pre-approved, your lender will generally ask for:
- Two years of residence history
- Two years of employment history
- Two years of tax returns and W-2s
- Three months of bank and brokerage statements
Your monthly payment will typically be quoted as PITI: principal, interest, taxes, and insurance, plus PMI if your down payment is under 20%, and HOA dues if applicable.
Search With a Strategy
Once we know your budget, we narrow by what actually matters to your life: commute, layout, lot, school boundaries. On schools specifically: fair housing law means I can't offer an opinion on school quality, but I can hand you the tools. School district boundaries don't always match what you'd expect, so confirm the assigned school directly with the district, then check GreatSchools.org or SchoolDigger.com for scores and ratios.
Drive the neighborhood at different times of day, including evenings and weekends, before you fall in love with anything.
Make a Winning Offer
Price is only one lever. I'll pull comps so we know whether the list price is fair before we decide how to approach it, and we'll factor in days on market and how competitive the area currently is.
The offer should also spell out:
- What's included, appliances, fixtures, shades
- How property taxes and utilities prorate at closing
- Financing, inspection, and appraisal contingencies
- Your target closing date and possession terms
On waiving contingencies: it can strengthen an offer in a competitive market, but it also puts your earnest money at risk if something goes wrong. We'll only do it with your eyes fully open.
Inspections & Appraisal
Under the standard Arizona REALTORS® contract, you get 10 days from acceptance to have the property inspected, at your expense, by an inspector of your choosing. It's money well spent: roofs, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and structural components are all in scope. Cosmetics aren't. Order your own termite inspection too, rather than relying on the seller's.
The appraisal protects you from overpaying: if it comes in below your offer price, you can typically withdraw and get your earnest money back, negotiate with the seller, cover the gap in cash, or challenge the report with your own comps.
Arizona-specific things to check
- CC&Rs and HOA governing documents
- HOA dues, transfer fees, and resale disclosure
- Well/septic inspection (required within 6 months of transfer)
- Sewer connection, verified independently if claimed
- Flood plain status and flood insurance requirements
- Pool barrier compliance, if applicable
- Past termite treatment (searchable at tarf.azda.gov)
- Soil conditions in expansive-soil or fissure-prone areas
Escrow, Title & Closing Costs
Escrow is a neutral third party, usually a title company, that holds funds and documents until every condition of your contract is satisfied. Your earnest money deposit goes into escrow, not to the seller directly, and stays there until closing or a broken contract.
Title insurance protects you against defects in ownership history that a records search can't catch, forgery, missing heirs, filing errors, so it's worth understanding, not just signing. Unlike other insurance, you pay the premium once, at closing, for as long as you own the home.
Buyer generally pays
- Lender's title insurance premium
- Half of escrow and recording fees
- Loan origination and appraisal fees
- First year of homeowner's insurance
- Home and termite inspection fees
- Prorated prepaid interest and taxes
Seller generally pays
- Real estate commission
- Owner's title insurance premium
- Half of escrow and recording fees
- Payoff of existing loans and liens
- Tax proration through date of transfer
- HOA resale disclosure fee
Exact allocations are negotiable and set by contract. This is the general default, not a guarantee.
How You'll Hold Title
Arizona is a community property state, so how you take title has real legal and tax consequences, especially around creditor rights and what happens on death. Common options include community property, joint tenancy with right of survivorship, tenancy in common, community property with right of survivorship, and title-holding trusts. This isn't a decision to make casually at the signing table.
Talk to an attorney or CPA before you decide how to vest, escrow can explain the options but can't advise you on which one fits your situation.
Your Closing Appointment
A few days before closing, you'll receive a Closing Disclosure detailing every dollar in and out. Review it line by line and flag anything that looks off before you're at the signing table.
Bring to your appointment:
- Government-issued photo ID (driver's license preferred)
- Wired funds sent ahead, or a cashier's check
- Your social security number
Wire fraud warning
Never wire funds based on instructions received by email alone. Confirm wiring instructions by phone, using a number you already know is correct, not one from the email itself, before you send anything. Arizona's Good Funds Law also means large funds typically need a day or more to clear before escrow can disburse them, so plan your wire early, not the morning of closing.
Do a final walk-through 24 hours or so before signing to confirm any agreed-upon repairs were completed and the home is in the condition you contracted for.
After You Close
Your recorded deed and title policy arrive by mail, generally three to four weeks out. Keep both somewhere safe.
A short list of things not to overlook:
- Confirm your loan payment notice arrives before it's due
- Set up utilities, internet, and change your address with USPS
- Register any vehicles within 5 days of moving in-state
- Track your property tax due dates below
1st half taxes
Due Oct 1 · Delinquent Nov 1
2nd half taxes
Due Mar 1 · Delinquent May 1
Glossary
- Earnest money
- A deposit showing good faith once under contract, held in escrow and applied toward your purchase at closing.
- Contingency
- A condition, like financing or inspection, that must be met before the contract becomes final.
- Escrow
- A neutral third party holding funds and documents until every condition of the sale is satisfied.
- PITI
- Principal, interest, taxes, and insurance, the components of your total monthly payment.
- CC&Rs
- Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions recorded against a property, often enforced by an HOA.
- Title insurance
- A one-time-premium policy protecting against ownership defects that existed before you bought.
- Closing Disclosure
- The final accounting of every dollar received and disbursed at closing, provided in advance for review.
- Vesting
- The legal way you hold title, such as community property or joint tenancy, with real consequences for taxes and inheritance.