What Happens After Your Offer Is Accepted on a House in Phoenix? What to Expect Next

The Phoenix Market Backdrop

Per ARMLS STAT for January 2026, the Phoenix Metro is carrying 24,358 active listings at a $444,740 median price with 5.17 months of supply and 94 average days on market. In the West Valley — Goodyear, Surprise, Buckeye, Peoria — buyers have more negotiating leverage than at any point in the past five years. That leverage plays out most directly during the inspection period and BINSR negotiation. Understanding the full post-acceptance sequence helps you use that window without making procedural mistakes that undercut your position.

Day 0: Contract Acceptance — The Clock Starts

The moment the seller signs and dates your offer, you have an executed purchase contract — a legally binding agreement. Day 0 is the contract date. Every subsequent deadline runs from this date. This is also referred to as “contract acceptance” throughout the AAR forms, and all deadlines expressed as “days after contract acceptance” count from this moment.

What is now locked in: the purchase price, the COE date, the inspection period length (default 10 days), the earnest money amount and delivery deadline, and which contingencies are active — inspection, appraisal, and loan.

Days 1-3: Earnest Money, Escrow Opens, SPDS Due

Earnest Money Delivery

Your earnest money — typically 1% to 3% of the purchase price in Phoenix Metro transactions — must be delivered to the title or escrow company within the timeframe specified in your contract. In current West Valley practice, 1 to 3 business days after acceptance is standard. The funds are held in the escrow account and credited toward your closing costs at COE.

Do not wire funds based on emailed instructions without independently verifying the wire details by phone directly with the title company. Wire fraud targeting real estate transactions is active in Arizona. Confirm routing numbers directly — not by replying to any email.

Escrow Opens

Once earnest money is deposited, the title or escrow company officially opens the transaction file. The escrow officer becomes the neutral coordinator managing funds, ordering title work, preparing the settlement statement, and handling the recording. In Arizona, title companies typically serve as both title insurer and escrow agent — one stop for both functions.

SPDS Delivered Within 3 Days

The seller is required under AAR contract Section 4a to deliver the completed Seller Property Disclosure Statement (SPDS) within three days of contract acceptance. This is a 10-page legal disclosure document covering the property’s physical condition, known defects, insurance claim history (5 years), HOA details, utility connections, and any other material facts the seller knows.

Read the SPDS before your inspection. Forward it to your inspector. The inspector should know what the seller has already disclosed before they enter the property. You have until the end of the inspection period — or 5 days after receipt of the SPDS, whichever is later — to submit written notice of any disapproved SPDS items.

Days 1-10: The Inspection Period — Your Most Important Window

The default inspection period under the AAR contract is 10 days from contract acceptance. This is your due diligence window. Within it, you must order, complete, and respond to all inspections you want the seller to address. Anything you do not raise in writing before the inspection period ends is waived.

What to Order and When

• General home inspection — order on Day 1 or Day 2. Reputable inspectors in Phoenix book up fast. Do not wait until Day 7 to schedule.
• Termite/wood-destroying insect inspection — typically a separate licensed inspector. Required by most lenders for financed purchases. Book alongside the general inspection.
• Roof inspection — often separately licensed from the general inspector. In West Valley homes 10+ years old, this is not optional.
• HVAC inspection — Phoenix Metro HVAC systems run 2,000+ hours per year. A dedicated HVAC technician can evaluate system life and efficiency beyond what a general inspector will report.
• Pool inspection — if the property has a pool or spa, book a certified pool inspector. Phoenix code requires pool barrier compliance; your inspector should evaluate both condition and compliance.
• Sewer scope — drain camera inspection of the lateral from house to street. West Valley homes on municipal sewer: this is a $150 to $300 inspection that can reveal root intrusion or failed pipe sections before they become a $10,000 post-close surprise.

The BINSR: Arizona’s Repair Negotiation Form

Once inspections are complete, you have three options under the AAR contract: accept the property as-is, cancel the contract and recover your earnest money, or submit a Buyer’s Inspection Notice and Seller’s Response (BINSR) requesting the seller correct or address specific disapproved items.

The BINSR is not a tool to renegotiate purchase price. It is a notice form for inspection-related items. You identify disapproved items, the seller has 5 days to respond, and you then have 5 days after the seller’s response to either accept their position and proceed or cancel the contract.

If you want a credit or price reduction based on inspection findings, the BINSR flags the items and an addendum addresses the financial resolution. The BINSR and the addendum work together — the BINSR does not modify the purchase contract on its own.

Days 1-10: Loan Status Update Required

Within 10 days of contract acceptance, your lender must deliver a Loan Status Update (LSU) to the seller. The LSU establishes the terms of your financing contingency — loan type, amount, rate structure, and lender. If the LSU differs from your pre-qualification form and is delivered within 10 days, the LSU controls.

Call your lender immediately after contract acceptance. Provide all requested documentation within 24 hours. Mortgage applications that sit idle lose time that cannot be recovered later in a 30-day escrow.

Days 10-25: Appraisal, Title Commitment, Loan Processing

The Appraisal

Your lender orders the appraisal typically after BINSR negotiations conclude — to avoid wasted fees if the transaction falls apart on inspection findings. Appraisals in Maricopa County typically take 7 to 14 days from order to report delivery. The fee is paid directly to the lender and is non-refundable.

If the appraisal comes in below purchase price, you have 5 days after notification to cancel the contract and recover your earnest money under the appraisal contingency, or waive the contingency and proceed. Your options at a low appraisal: negotiate a price reduction, pay the gap in cash, challenge the appraisal with comparable sales data, or cancel.

Title Commitment

The title company delivers a Commitment for Title Insurance. You have 5 days after receipt to review and raise written objections to title exceptions — easements, encroachments, liens, CC&Rs, or other items that could affect your ownership rights. Items not raised within that 5-day window are waived.

In the West Valley, Community Facilities District (CFD) bonds are common on newer inventory. A CFD bond is a special taxing district levy that runs with the land and is prorated at closing but continues as an annual tax obligation. Your title commitment will show any active CFD bond. Know what it costs annually before you close.

Loan Processing and Underwriting

Your lender is working through underwriting while inspections and appraisal run in parallel. Respond to every lender document request within hours, not days. Delayed responses create a cascade that can push the COE date and trigger contract cure period notices.

3 Days Before COE: Final Loan Approval and Closing Disclosure

Under the AAR contract, the buyer must either sign all loan documents, deliver written notice of loan approval without conditions plus closing disclosure dates, or deliver notice of inability to obtain approval — no later than 3 days before the COE date. This is the formal loan contingency deadline.

The Closing Disclosure (CD) is a federal form your lender must provide no later than 3 business days before closing. It lists every cost, credit, and payment in the transaction. Compare it line-by-line to your Loan Estimate from early in the process. Fee increases outside of permitted tolerance bands should be challenged immediately.

Wire your closing funds the business day before your signing appointment — not the morning of. Confirming fund receipt before signing removes one potential delay from the Arizona dry-funding sequence.

1-2 Days Before COE: Final Walkthrough

The AAR contract grants you the right to conduct a final walkthrough before COE. Schedule it 24 to 48 hours before signing — close enough to verify seller-agreed repairs were completed, with enough time to raise any issues before you sit down to sign.

What to verify: all BINSR-agreed repairs completed and receipts available, all fixtures and personal property included in the contract are present, the property is in substantially the same condition as your first visit, utilities are active for testing, and the seller has removed all belongings (or has a post-possession agreement in place).

COE Day: Signing, Funding, Recording

Arizona is a dry-funding state. You sign loan documents at the title company. Those documents go back to your lender for post-closing review. The lender wires funds to escrow. Escrow submits the deed to the Maricopa County Recorder via eRecording. Possession transfers when the deed records — not when you sign.

For most financed Phoenix Metro purchases, signing to recorded deed runs 24 to 48 hours. Schedule your signing for Tuesday or Wednesday morning to avoid the Friday trap (wire cutoff timing can push possession to the following Monday). Do not schedule movers for signing day. Schedule movers for two business days after signing.

For a detailed breakdown of the dry-funding sequence and the Friday trap, see our earlier post: How Long After Closing Can You Move Into Your Phoenix Home?

Frequently Asked Questions

Day 0 is the contract date. Your earnest money delivery deadline starts immediately, the inspection period clock begins, and the seller must deliver the SPDS within 3 days. Your lender must deliver a Loan Status Update within 10 days. The first 10 days are the most deadline-dense phase of the entire transaction.

Earnest money in Phoenix Metro transactions typically runs 1% to 3% of the purchase price. At the January 2026 median of $444,740, that is roughly $4,400 to $13,400. It is credited toward closing costs at COE. If you cancel within a valid contingency and meet notice deadlines, you get it back. If you default without a valid contingency, the seller may claim it.

The Seller Property Disclosure Statement (SPDS) is a 10-page legal form the seller must deliver within 3 days of contract acceptance. It covers all material facts the seller knows about the property — condition, defects, insurance claims history, HOA details, and utility connections. Read it carefully before your inspection and forward it to your inspector. You have until the end of the inspection period, or 5 days after receipt, to raise written objections.

The BINSR (Buyer’s Inspection Notice and Seller’s Response) is the AAR form for communicating inspection findings and negotiating repairs or remedies. You identify disapproved items, the seller has 5 days to respond, and you have 5 days after the seller’s response to accept and proceed or cancel. Seller non-response within 5 days is automatically treated as a refusal to correct anything.

Within the inspection period, you can cancel at any time in your sole discretion and recover your earnest money. After the inspection period closes, cancellation rights narrow to specific contingency events — loan denial, low appraisal, or title issues raised within their deadlines. Missing a deadline can mean losing your earnest money or your right to exit.

Under the AAR appraisal contingency, you have 5 days after notification to cancel and recover your earnest money. Alternatively, you can negotiate a price reduction, pay the gap in cash, challenge the appraisal with comparable sales data, or waive the contingency and proceed. If you do not act within 5 days, the contingency is waived.

Most financed purchases in the Phoenix Metro close in 30 to 45 days from contract acceptance. Cash purchases can close in 7 to 21 days depending on title clearance and scheduling. The COE date in your contract sets the target — extensions require written agreement from both parties.

Possession transfers when the deed records at the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office — not when you sign loan documents. Arizona is a dry-funding state: signing, funding, and recording are sequential steps spanning 24 to 72 hours. Schedule movers for two business days after your signing appointment to avoid being locked out waiting for a recorded deed.

Know the Sequence Before You Sign

The window between contract acceptance and keys is not a waiting period — it is a series of consequential decisions, each with a deadline attached. The inspection period sets the terms of your repair negotiation. The BINSR establishes what the seller will fix. The appraisal and loan contingencies protect you if the deal stops making financial sense. The final walkthrough is your last verification point before the deed records and the house is yours.

In the Phoenix Metro’s current inventory-rich environment, buyers have real leverage — but only if they understand where their leverage lives in the contract timeline and use it before the windows close. Buyers who miss deadlines do not get extensions automatically. They get to watch their contingency rights expire.

Ron and Jill walk every buyer through the full post-acceptance timeline before they go under contract — which inspections to order first, how to structure the BINSR, what to do at a low appraisal, and how to read the closing disclosure. If you have an offer in mind or are actively under contract in Goodyear, Surprise, Peoria, or anywhere in the West Valley, schedule a consultation now.