Getting the message that your offer was accepted is one of the best moments in the home buying process. There may be a happy dance. There may be screenshots sent to the family group chat. There may even be a brief temptation to start mentally arranging furniture.
Celebrate it. Then take a look at what comes next.
An accepted offer is an important milestone, but it is not the finish line. Between contract acceptance and getting the keys, buyers typically move through inspections, disclosures, financing, title work, insurance, an appraisal when applicable, and final closing preparations.
The exact deadlines and requirements depend on your contract and circumstances, but understanding the basic roadmap makes the process feel much less mysterious.
1. Your Contract Becomes the Roadmap
Once the purchase contract is accepted, pay close attention to the dates and deadlines in it. Arizona real estate contracts can contain important time periods for inspections, financing, title review, disclosures, and other contingencies.
Do not rely on a generic online timeline when you are under contract. Your signed agreement is what matters, and your real estate agent can help you keep track of the dates that apply to your transaction.
A simple practical tip: put important deadlines on your calendar immediately rather than assuming someone will remind you later.
2. Earnest Money Is Delivered to Escrow
Earnest money is a deposit a buyer makes as part of the transaction. The amount, method of delivery, and timing should be stated in the purchase contract.
Once deposited with the escrow company, the money is held as the transaction moves toward closing and is generally credited according to the terms of the contract at closing.
Because earnest money can be affected by whether contractual obligations and deadlines are met, buyers should never treat it casually. If you are unsure when or how it must be delivered, ask before the deadline arrives.
One important safety note: real estate transactions are a frequent target for wire fraud. Never send money based solely on emailed wiring instructions. Independently verify instructions with the escrow or title company using trusted contact information before transferring funds.
3. The Inspection and Due-Diligence Period Begins
For many buyers, this is the busiest part of the transaction.
Under the standard Arizona REALTORS® Residential Resale Real Estate Purchase Contract, the inspection period is 10 days after contract acceptance unless a different period is written into the contract. During that time, buyers should conduct the inspections and investigations they consider appropriate regarding the property and surrounding area.
A professional home inspection is an important part of that process, but due diligence can go well beyond the general home inspection.
Depending on the property, a buyer may want qualified professionals to evaluate the roof, HVAC system, plumbing or sewer/septic system, electrical system, pool or spa, pests, previous additions or repairs, environmental concerns, or property boundaries.
The right investigations depend on the particular home. A pool property, an older home, a home on acreage, and a newer subdivision home may each deserve a different approach.
4. Review the Seller’s Disclosures Carefully
For a typical Arizona resale transaction using the standard Arizona REALTORS® contract, the seller generally provides a Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement, commonly called the SPDS.
Do not treat the disclosure packet as paperwork to initial as quickly as possible. Read it carefully.
Look for information about previous roof leaks, plumbing problems, insurance claims, repairs, additions, environmental concerns, and other conditions that may warrant additional investigation.
A disclosure does not replace an inspection, and an inspection does not replace reading the disclosures. They work together to help you understand the property you are considering buying.
5. Investigate the Property Beyond Its Four Walls
Buying a home also means buying into its location, rules, utilities, and surroundings.
During due diligence, consider the things that will matter to your everyday life. Depending on the property, that might include HOA rules and fees, zoning, easements, nearby development, road access, schools and transportation, internet availability, flood considerations, permits for additions, and neighborhood noise or traffic patterns.
If something is important enough that it could affect whether you want the home, investigate it before the applicable contractual deadline.
6. Financing Keeps Moving in the Background
If you are using a mortgage, your lender’s work does not stop because the offer was accepted.
Expect requests for updated financial documents and respond promptly. Depending on the loan, the lender may need updated bank statements, income documentation, explanations of deposits, or other information before underwriting can be completed.
This is also a particularly bad time to make a major financial surprise appearance.
Before opening a new credit account, financing furniture, buying a vehicle, changing jobs, or moving large amounts of money between accounts, talk with your lender. Changes to your finances or credit can affect loan approval.
7. The Appraisal May Be Ordered
When financing requires it, the lender generally orders an appraisal to provide an independent opinion of the property’s value for lending purposes.
An appraisal and a home inspection are not the same thing.
The home inspection is primarily about helping you understand the property’s condition. The appraisal is primarily part of the lender’s evaluation of the property and loan.
If the appraisal creates an issue, the next steps depend on your contract, financing, and circumstances. Your agent and lender can help you understand the available options rather than assuming there is one universal outcome.
8. Review Title and HOA Information
The title and escrow process runs alongside inspections and financing.
Buyers should review the title commitment and raise questions about restrictions, liens, easements, or other matters they do not understand. If the home is in an HOA, review the association documents too.
Look beyond the monthly or annual fee. Understand rules that may affect pets, parking, exterior changes, rentals, recreational vehicles, or anything else important to how you expect to use the property.
Deadlines for reviewing title, HOA, and other documents may differ from the general inspection period, so again, your particular contract matters.
9. Arrange Homeowners Insurance Early
Do not wait until the day before closing to discover whether a home is difficult or expensive to insure.
Arizona REALTORS® buyer guidance recommends investigating insurance availability and cost early in the process. Give your insurance professional accurate information about the property and ask questions about coverage that matters to your situation.
If there are unusual features, prior claims, or conditions that could affect insurability, it is better to learn about them while you still have time to make informed decisions.
10. Work Through Inspection Findings
A home inspection rarely produces a report that says, “Congratulations, absolutely nothing is wrong.”
Homes are collections of systems, materials, maintenance, and previous repairs, and inspection reports can be lengthy even when a property is generally in good condition.
The goal is not necessarily to panic over every loose doorknob. Focus on understanding the findings, identifying issues that matter to you, obtaining additional professional evaluations when appropriate, and deciding how you want to proceed within the rights and deadlines provided by your contract.
Depending on the contract and circumstances, inspection findings may lead to requests for repairs or other ways of addressing disapproved items, acceptance of the property as-is, or cancellation when the contract permits it.
Your agent can help you navigate the contractual process, while qualified inspectors and contractors should answer technical questions about the property’s condition.
11. Prepare for the Final Walk-Through
As closing approaches, buyers typically have an opportunity to see the property again before completing the purchase.
This is not meant to be an entirely new inspection. Instead, you are generally confirming that the property’s condition has not materially changed, agreed-upon work has been completed as required, and the home is being delivered according to the contract.
Bring your questions with you. If something appears different from what you expected, raise it before closing rather than after the keys are in your hand.
12. Closing Day Arrives
Near closing, you will receive final information from your lender and escrow/title professionals about documents, funds, and signing.
Review your paperwork rather than treating signing as a race. Ask questions about anything you do not understand, and once again independently verify any instructions involving money.
When the transaction has funded and recorded as required, it is finally time for the part everyone has been waiting for: the keys.
And yes, now you can start deciding where the couch goes.
The Best Home-Buying Process Is an Informed One
The stretch between “offer accepted” and “welcome home” contains a lot of moving pieces, but you do not have to memorize the entire process before buying a house.
What matters is knowing what comes next, understanding which deadlines belong to you, asking questions early, and using the right professionals when specialized expertise is needed.
If you’re thinking about buying a home in Southern Arizona, The RA Home Team can help you understand the process before you ever write an offer. And if you’re already house hunting, we’ll help you keep the paperwork, deadlines, and decisions organized so you can focus on finding a home that fits your life.
The RA Home Team
Helping you make the next move feel a little more like home.
This article is general educational information, not legal, lending, insurance, inspection, or tax advice. Your signed contract and the advice of the appropriate professionals control your transaction.