Once you accept an offer on your Scottsdale home, the transaction moves through opening escrow, earnest money deposit, buyer inspections, SPDS disclosures, appraisal, and finally closing and recording with the Maricopa County Recorder. The whole process typically runs 30 to 45 days, driven by the AAR Residential Resale Purchase Contract.
What happens after a seller accepts an offer on a Scottsdale home?
Once the purchase contract has been signed off by all of the parties, your Scottsdale home sale will move through a structured sequence including opening escrow with a title company, the buyer’s earnest money deposit, the inspection period, SPDS disclosures, appraisal (if the buyer is financing), and finally closing and recording with the Maricopa County Recorder. Most of this process is governed by the Arizona Association of REALTORS® standard Residential Resale Purchase Contract, and the typical timeline runs 30 to 45 days from acceptance to recording.
Here’s what we walk every seller through, step by step.
The First 72 Hours: Escrow Opens and Earnest Money Moves
The moment you go under contract, the clock starts. The first order of business is opening escrow with a title company, which becomes the neutral third party managing funds and documents for the rest of the transaction.
Opening escrow means the title company receives a copy of the fully executed purchase contract, creates a file, and begins its title search to confirm you have clear, insurable ownership to convey to the buyer. This is also when the buyer’s earnest money comes into the picture.
Under Arizona practice, the buyer’s earnest money is wired or delivered to the title company, not to your agent or ours. The contract specifies the deposit amount and the deadline for delivering it. The title company holds those funds in a trust account for the duration of the escrow. If the sale closes, the earnest money is credited toward the buyer’s costs at closing. If the contract is canceled, who gets the earnest money back depends entirely on the contract language and the circumstances of the cancellation, and sometimes that question requires legal counsel to sort out.
In the current Scottsdale market, this step matters more than sellers sometimes expect. The July 2026 Scottsdale market update reflects a slower pace, with pending sales down significantly year over year. Buyers are negotiating more carefully, and that starts with how the earnest money terms are structured in the contract.
The Inspection Period and SPDS: Where Most Deals Survive or Die
This is the phase that generates the most questions, and honestly, the most anxiety, for sellers. Two things happen simultaneously: the buyer orders inspections, and you deliver your Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement.
The SPDS: Your Disclosure Obligation
The AAR Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement, commonly called the SPDS (pronounced “spuds”), is a seven-page document you complete yourself. Your agent does not fill it out for you. You will need to answer every question truthfully, attach relevant documents like warranties, invoices, and past inspection reports, and deliver it to the buyer within the timeframe the contract requires. We actually advise our sellers to proactively fill out the SPDS in advance of any contracts so that we can get them submitted to the buyer as quickly as possible.
Arizona law requires sellers to disclose known material facts about the property. The SPDS is the primary vehicle for that disclosure. Failing to deliver it on time, or delivering one with incomplete or inaccurate answers, can give the buyer grounds to cancel and recover their earnest money. It can also expose you to legal claims after closing.
For Scottsdale properties specifically, the SPDS gets detailed fast. Pools, solar systems, HOA communities, well and septic systems, and luxury finishes all generate additional line items and attachments. Our strong advice is to disclose thoroughly and proactively. If you’re not sure whether something needs to be disclosed, err on the side of including it. A clean SPDS keeps the deal moving whereas a disputed one can stall it or kill it.
The Inspection Period
The buyer’s inspection period is defined in calendar days in the purchase contract. During this window, the buyer typically orders a general home inspection, termite inspection, roof inspection, pool inspection, and any other specialized inspections they choose. They’re also reviewing your SPDS during this time.
Under the AAR contract, the buyer has the inspection period or five days after receiving the SPDS, whichever is later, to issue a written notice of disapproved items. That notice can cover physical defects, SPDS disclosures, or other concerns depending on the addenda in play.
If the buyer sends a notice of disapproved items, you have a few options. You can agree to repairs, offer a price reduction or credit, offer a combination of both, or decline entirely. The buyer then decides whether to accept your response or cancel. If the parties can’t reach an agreement within the allowed timeframe and the buyer cancels properly under the contract, the earnest money typically goes back to the buyer.
We tell sellers to think about this phase strategically before ever listing. Knowing which items are likely to come up in an inspection, and deciding in advance how you want to handle them, puts you in a much stronger position once you’re under contract. Our post on budgeting for inspection repairs and concessions in Scottsdale walks through how to think about this before an offer comes into play.
The Appraisal
If the buyer is financing the purchase, the lender will order an appraisal after the home goes under contract. The appraiser is chosen by the lender, not by either party, and visits the property to determine its market value.
The appraisal must meet or exceed the contract price for the lender to approve the loan as written. If it comes in lower than the negotiated price, the parties typically negotiate. The solution could be a price reduction, the buyer bringing additional cash to cover the gap, or some combination. The specific outcome depends on the appraisal contingency language in the contract or loan addenda. There is no Scottsdale-specific rule here. Instead, it is driven by the contract and the lender’s requirements.
In a market where days on market are running longer, appraisals deserve attention. Recent Zillow market data for the North Scottsdale and Cave Creek area shows a median sale price of $1,182,500 and a median of 58 days on market as of August 2026. And while those are area-level figures, your home’s appraised value will depend on its specific condition, street, build year, and comparable sales. And if pricing was aggressive and is on the very upper end of home values in your area, a low appraisal is a possible risk worth planning for.
For a broader look at where the Scottsdale market stands right now, the current Scottsdale real estate market overview gives useful context on pricing trends heading into the fall.
Here’s a snapshot of recent area-level market data for two of the higher-end markets in the region, based on Zillow trailing sales data as of August 2026:
| Area | Median Sale Price | Median Days on Market |
| Carefree | $1,200,000 | 35 |
| Paradise Valley | $4,000,000 | 51 |
These are area-level medians. Individual home values vary by condition, lot, and timing. If you’re selling in either of these markets, your appraisal conversation will be specific to your property and the comparable sales your appraiser uses.
Closing, Funding, and Recording in Maricopa County
Once inspections are resolved, the appraisal clears, and the lender issues a clear-to-close, you’re in the final stretch. Here’s how the last 24 to 48 hours typically unfold in a Scottsdale transaction.
Signing
Buyer and seller sign their respective closing documents, usually at the title company’s office. In some transactions, one party signs remotely using a mobile notary. Sellers typically sign a deed conveying ownership to the buyer, along with various settlement statements and lender-required documents.
Funding
After signing, the lender wires the loan proceeds to the title company. The buyer’s remaining funds are confirmed as well. Once all funds are received and balanced, the title company authorizes recording.
Recording with the Maricopa County Recorder
Because Scottsdale sits within Maricopa County, the deed is recorded with the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office. Local title companies typically submit electronic recordings on closing day. Once the Recorder accepts and indexes the deed, the transfer of ownership is official and part of the public record.
The recording date, not the signing date, is generally treated as the official transfer date for possession and contractual milestones, subject to whatever possession terms were negotiated in your contract. If you agreed to close and hand over keys the same day, you hand over keys once the title company confirms recording. If you negotiated a post-possession period, that timeline runs from recording as well.
According to Resideline’s 2026 Scottsdale housing market summary, there were approximately 2,815 closings in Scottsdale over the most recent six-month period through late July 2026, giving a sense of the transaction volume moving through Maricopa County title companies and the Recorder’s office right now.
Caveat – The Recorder’s office has cut-off times, and recording volumes vary by day. Your title company will give you a realistic expectation of when recording will confirm. Don’t schedule movers for the morning of closing day without confirming that timeline with your title officer first.
For a full picture of what you’ll see on the settlement statement at closing, our post on seller closing costs in Scottsdale breaks down each cost category in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who holds the earnest money when I sell my house in Scottsdale?
The earnest money is held by the title company, not by your agent or the buyer’s agent. Under Arizona practice, the buyer wires or delivers the deposit to the escrow/title company within the timeframe specified in the purchase contract. The title company holds it in a trust account and either credits it toward the buyer’s closing costs at settlement or releases it according to the contract terms if the deal falls apart.
Once my Scottsdale home is under contract, how long do I have to give the buyer the SPDS?
The delivery deadline is set by the purchase contract, not by a fixed Arizona statute. Under the standard AAR Residential Resale Purchase Contract, the SPDS is typically due within three to five days of contract acceptance. Failing to deliver it on time can give the buyer grounds to cancel and recover their earnest money, so this is a deadline we make sure our sellers hit immediately.
During the inspection period in Arizona, can the buyer back out and get their earnest money back?
Yes, if the buyer properly exercises their right to cancel within the inspection period under the contract’s terms, the earnest money is generally returned to them. The buyer must issue written notice of disapproved items within the allowed window. If the parties can’t reach agreement on repairs or concessions and the buyer cancels correctly, the contract provides for the earnest money to go back to the buyer. Every situation is different, and the contract language controls.
What’s the difference between closing, funding, and recording in a Scottsdale home sale?
Signing is when both parties execute closing documents at the title company. Funding is when the lender wires loan proceeds and the buyer’s funds are confirmed received by the title company. Recording is when the title company submits the deed to the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office and it becomes part of the public record. Recording is the moment ownership officially transfers, and it’s the trigger most Scottsdale contracts use for possession.
When does the appraiser come in, and can a low appraisal kill the deal?
In a financed purchase, the lender orders the appraisal after the contract is executed, typically within the first week or two. A low appraisal doesn’t automatically kill the deal, but it does require negotiation: a price reduction, the buyer covering the gap in cash, or some combination. The outcome depends on the appraisal contingency language in the contract. In a slower market like Scottsdale in mid-2026, where buyers have more leverage, sellers should price accurately from the start to reduce appraisal risk.
The under-contract phase is where transactions are won or lost. A clean and thorough SPDS, a responsive approach to inspection findings, and a clear understanding of the closing sequence are what get you from accepted offer to recorded deed without detours. Every deal has its own wrinkles, and the only way to navigate them confidently is to have someone who knows this market and these contracts in your corner.
If you’re preparing to list or you’ve just accepted an offer and want to walk through what comes next, reach out to schedule a consultation. Joyce Tawes and Heather Tawes Nelson are both Associate Brokers with eXp Realty, and we are here to make sure you know exactly what to expect at every step.
About Joyce Tawes and Heather Tawes Nelson
Joyce Tawes and Heather Tawes Nelson are both REALTORS® and Associate Brokers with eXp Realty, leading the Live Better in Scottsdale team. This mother-daughter duo helps buyers and sellers navigate the Scottsdale, Arizona market, from golf communities and luxury condos to foothill and desert properties, with hands-on guidance every step of the way.
eXp Realty · 480-209-7843
Equal Housing Opportunity. Joyce Tawes and Heather Tawes Nelson are licensed REALTORS® and Associate Brokers regulated by the Arizona Department of Real Estate. This article is general information only and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Confirm all contract terms, costs, and timelines with your attorney, tax advisor, lender, or escrow/closing officer.
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