How to Buy a Home in Tucson: The Arizona Process, Explained

Arizona is an escrow state with a buyer-friendly standard contract. If you're arriving from an attorney-state or a bidding-war market, the process here will feel calmer — but it has desert-specific traps worth knowing.

1. Pre-approval with a local lender

In a market where ~36% of sales are cash, a strong pre-approval letter from a lender who closes in Arizona matters. Get it before you tour.

2. Offer & earnest money

Your agent writes the offer on the Arizona Association of REALTORS® contract. Earnest money (typically 1% or so) goes to the title company holding escrow — no attorneys required on either side.

3. The inspection period (usually 10 days)

The standard contract gives you an inspection window to investigate everything and respond with a repair/correction request (the BINSR). Desert-specific checks that out-of-state buyers miss: roof condition (sun and monsoon are brutal on flat roofs), HVAC age (a dead A/C in July is a five-figure emergency), pool equipment, sewer line on older central homes, termite history (this is termite country), and whether the home sits in a mapped floodplain near a wash.

4. Appraisal, HOA documents & final walk

Appraisal follows; HOA resale documents arrive during escrow and deserve a real read — especially rental restrictions if you may snowbird-rent later. After the seller's disclosure (SPDS) review and clear title, you sign at the title company. Most closings run about 30 days offer-to-keys.

Newcomer timing tip

Relocation buyers win by being decisive on the right house and patient on the rest — in a balanced market with ~5 months of supply, you don't need to waive inspections to compete. Do the reverse of the 2021 playbook.