In Arizona, closing happens in three stages: you sign your loan and escrow documents with the title and escrow company, the lender funds the loan, and the deed records with the county recorder. Escrow closes and you get keys once the deed records, which is often a day or two after you sign. Arizona is an escrow state, so you usually sign at the escrow office or with a mobile notary rather than at a big table with everyone present.
Before closing day
- Closing Disclosure: you must receive it at least three business days before signing. Check it against your Loan Estimate. See Closing Disclosure and the 3-Day Rule.
- Final walkthrough: usually within a few days of closing, to confirm the home's condition and agreed repairs.
- Homeowners insurance: bound, with the declarations page sent to your lender. See Homeowners Insurance for a Mortgage in Arizona.
- Utilities: schedule transfers into your name for the recording date.
Your cash to close and the wire
The Closing Disclosure shows your cash to close. You typically wire it to the escrow company or bring a cashier's check if escrow accepts it.
Verify wiring instructions by phone using a number you looked up independently, not one in an email. Criminals send convincing fake instructions, and a wire sent to the wrong account is usually gone for good. If you receive changed instructions, stop and call.
The funds must come from the accounts your lender verified. A wire from an account the lender never saw creates a last-minute condition.
Signing
Bring a valid government photo ID. You will sign:
- The promissory note, your promise to repay.
- The deed of trust, which secures the loan with the property. Arizona generally uses deeds of trust rather than mortgages.
- The Closing Disclosure and other loan disclosures.
- Escrow and title documents, including the settlement statement.
Expect an hour or so. Read what you sign and ask questions. The escrow officer can explain escrow documents; your loan officer should be reachable for loan questions.
Funding
After you sign, the escrow company returns the documents to the lender, which reviews them, confirms final conditions, and wires the loan funds. Lenders often re-verify employment and check for new credit right before funding. See What Not to Do After You Apply.
Recording and keys
When the lender's funds and your funds are in escrow and everything is signed, escrow sends the deed to the county recorder. Once it records, escrow closes, the seller is paid, and you are the owner. Your agent coordinates keys, typically the same day it records unless your contract allows otherwise.
Why signing and closing are different days
Signing early leaves time for lender review and funding. Many lenders do not fund on the same day the documents are signed, especially with afternoon signings. Plan your move-out and moving truck around the recording date, not the signing date.
After closing
- Your first payment is usually due on the first of the month after a full month passes.
- You will get a welcome letter from your servicer, and possibly a notice that servicing transferred. Verify any change before sending money.
- File for any primary-residence treatment with the county if applicable. See Arizona Property Taxes for Home Buyers.
- Keep your closing documents permanently.
See the full process in Escrow Timeline in Arizona.
Why ask me
- I answer the question before I sell you anything. If renting, waiting or a different program is the better move, I will say so.
- Real numbers, not a calculator guess. I price your actual scenario, side by side, with the fees on the page.
- Every program under one roof. Conventional, FHA, VA, jumbo, and non-QM options like bank statement, DSCR and asset-based loans, so the program fits you instead of the other way around.
- You talk to the principal. Ricky Khamis is President of EPiQ Lending, NMLS #173141, lending in Arizona since 1999 and a 2025 Presidents Club Winner at CMG Home Loans. Direct line: (480) 999-9842.
EPiQ Lending is NMLS #1936984, at 7975 N. Hayden Road, Suite A-101 in Scottsdale. Verify all of it before you trust any of it: Ricky's EPiQ Lending profile, the Scottsdale branch, and the license itself at NMLS Consumer Access. Hold every lender to that standard, including us.
More plain-English answers in the Mortgage Education library.
Equal Housing Opportunity. This is general information, not a commitment to lend or an offer to extend credit. Program guidelines, eligibility requirements and documentation standards vary by investor and change over time. Rates, terms and program guidelines change and depend on credit approval, property appraisal and other qualifying factors. Not all applicants will qualify. This is not legal or tax advice; consult a qualified professional about your own situation.
Find out which program actually costs you less
FHA, conventional and jumbo price the same borrower very differently once the mortgage insurance is compared across the years you will own the home. Tell me the shape of your file and I will run them side by side.
Looking at a specific home? Send me the address and I will run the numbers: rickykhamis.com/analyze
