Sell Your House Fast in Arizona. Get Your Cash Offer.

How an Arizona home sale closes

An Arizona sale can close through escrow, where a neutral escrow agent holds funds and documents until the sale conditions are met.

• Anyone carrying on escrow transactions in Arizona generally needs a license from the Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI).
• DIFI examines each escrow agent and its trust accounts at least once every four years, and escrow agents file their rates with DIFI.
• At recording, the buyer and seller certify an affidavit of legal value, often called the affidavit of property value. The county recorder generally will not record the deed without it (A.R.S. 11-1133).
• Escrow, title and recording fees can vary, so it helps to ask your escrow agent for an itemized estimate.

No transfer tax in Arizona

The Arizona Constitution bars new state or local taxes, fees or stamp requirements on real estate transfers (Article 9, Section 24).

• The provision covers the state, counties, cities, towns and other taxing districts.
• Charges already in effect on December 31, 2007 are not affected.
• Some transfers are exempt from the affidavit of legal value rules under A.R.S. 11-1134.
• Usual closing costs can still include escrow, title and recording fees. Your escrow agent can give you a full estimate.

Seller disclosures

Arizona sellers are generally expected to disclose known material facts. In Hill v. Jones (Ariz. App. 1986), the court treated not disclosing a known material defect as possible misrepresentation.

• No statute requires a specific disclosure form. The Arizona REALTORS Seller Property Disclosure Statement (SPDS) is the form many sellers use.
• The SPDS is designed to help sellers make these disclosures, and buyers may rely on the answers.
• The form asks sellers to disclose changes in writing before close of escrow.
• Under A.R.S. 32-2156, a seller is not liable for not disclosing that a home was the site of a death.
• For homes built before 1978, federal law also requires a lead paint disclosure and the EPA pamphlet. Foreclosure sales are among the exemptions.
• An attorney can tell you which disclosures apply to your sale.

Foreclosure process and timeline

Arizona trustee's sales under a deed of trust follow notice and timing rules in A.R.S. 33-808.

• The sale date can be no sooner than the 91st day after the notice of sale is recorded.
• Notice is posted on the property at least 20 days before the sale and published once a week for four weeks.
• Sales are held between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on a day other than a Saturday or legal holiday.
• The owner can generally reinstate until 5 p.m. on the last day before the sale, other than a Saturday or legal holiday (A.R.S. 33-813).
• Many owners in this situation explore selling before the sale date. An attorney or housing counselor can review your timeline.

Probate and inherited homes

Arizona offers a small estate affidavit for real property when the decedent's Arizona real property, less liens, is worth $300,000 or less (A.R.S. 14-3971).

• The real property affidavit can be filed no sooner than six months after the death.
• For personal property, the limit is $200,000 and the waiting period is 30 days.
• A beneficiary deed recorded before the owner's death transfers the home to the named beneficiary at death (A.R.S. 33-405).
• Larger estates may need a personal representative appointed through probate.
• A probate attorney can confirm which path fits your family.

Selling a rental with tenants

Arizona generally requires at least 30 days' written notice to end a month-to-month tenancy, given before the periodic rental date (A.R.S. 33-1375).

• A week-to-week tenancy generally requires at least 10 days' written notice.
• Your lease may have its own terms about a sale, so review it first.
• You can request a cash offer on an occupied or vacant rental. A landlord-tenant attorney can explain the notices that apply.

Property tax and capital gains basics

Arizona taxes a primary residence as Class 3 property. Its limited property value can generally rise no more than 5 percent a year (A.R.S. 42-13301).

• The limited property value cannot exceed the property's full cash value.
• A primary residence is your one main residence, per the Maricopa County Assessor. Qualified homes receive the Homeowner Rebate.
• A sale or transfer of ownership is one trigger for a review of a home's legal class.
• Property taxes are paid in two installments, due October 1 and March 1, per the Pima County Assessor.
• Federal law lets many sellers exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for married couples filing jointly (IRS Topic 701). You generally must have owned and lived in the home 2 of the last 5 years.

Notes for military sellers

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) adds protections for servicemembers who own a home in Arizona.

• For a mortgage taken out before service, a lender generally needs a court order to foreclose non-judicially. This applies during service and for one year after, per the Department of Justice.
• The SCRA caps interest at 6 percent on qualifying pre-service mortgages during service and for one year after.
• The IRS lets eligible uniformed services members suspend the five-year test during qualified extended duty, for up to 10 years.
• A military legal assistance office or an attorney can review your situation.

Tell us about the house

Property type, condition, timeline and address. It takes about two minutes.

Talk with us

We call to learn about the property and your plans.

Review your offer

A quick walkthrough confirms the details, then you review a written offer on your own time.

Close on your date

You choose the closing date. The title or escrow company handles the paperwork and the funds.