Questions people ask me

It's the standard purchase contract most Arizona resale home transactions use, published by the Arizona Association of REALTORS®. It covers the price, financing, earnest money, disclosures, the inspection period, the appraisal, title, escrow and close of escrow, with set deadlines for each step. In Arizona it also serves as the escrow instructions. A real estate attorney can answer legal questions about it.

A title commitment is the title company's promise to insure the property's title, subject to listed exceptions and requirements such as easements, recorded restrictions or liens. Under the AAR purchase contract, the buyer has five days after receiving it, and after any later exception notices, to deliver written notice of items they disapprove. Questions about exceptions can go to the title officer or an attorney.

A loan status update, or LSU, is a form from the buyer's lender that reports how the loan is progressing, such as what has been received and what is still needed. The AAR purchase contract calls for an LSU within ten days after contract acceptance. It helps the seller and both agents see whether financing is on track before close of escrow.

The final walkthrough happens shortly before close of escrow. It's the buyer's chance to confirm the home is in the condition the contract requires, that agreed repairs were completed and that included items such as appliances are still there. It isn't a second inspection period. If something is wrong, tell your agent right away so it can be addressed before closing.

Yes, under the AAR purchase contract the seller delivers a five-year insurance claims history for the property within five days after contract acceptance. Buyers can review it alongside the SPDS and inspection reports for clues about past water, roof or other losses. It's also worth asking your own insurance agent how the home's history might affect your coverage.

A home warranty is a service contract that may cover repair or replacement of certain systems and appliances, such as the AC, water heater or plumbing, after you pay a service fee. It's different from homeowners insurance. Whether it's worth it depends on the age of the home's systems and the plan's terms. Buyers sometimes ask the seller to pay for one.

Seller concessions are money the seller agrees to put toward the buyer's closing costs or other expenses, written into the purchase contract or negotiated later, for example after the BINSR. They can help a buyer with limited cash, but they affect the seller's net proceeds. Loan programs may limit how much is allowed, so buyers should check with their lender first.

You get the keys when possession transfers under your contract, which is commonly at close of escrow, meaning once the sale has recorded with the county. Signing documents doesn't mean the sale is complete yet; funding and recording come next. If the seller needs to stay a short time after closing, that arrangement should be agreed in writing beforehand.

Yes, you can tell buyers you won't make repairs. Buyers still usually have their inspection period under the contract and can cancel if they don't like what they find. Selling as-is also doesn't remove your duty to disclose known material facts, so you'd still complete the SPDS honestly. A CMA helps set a price that reflects the home's condition.

Sometimes, but the options narrow. After the inspection period, other contingencies in the contract may still apply, such as the appraisal contingency or the loan contingency, each with its own rules and deadlines. Cancelling without a contractual reason can put the buyer's earnest money at risk. If you're thinking about cancelling, talk with your agent right away and consider legal advice.

Yes. Under Arizona Department of Environmental Quality rules, an on-site wastewater system, such as a septic system, must have a transfer inspection by a qualified inspector within six months before the transfer of ownership. If you're buying or selling a home with a septic system, plan for this inspection early so it doesn't hold up closing.

For homes built before 1978, federal rules require the seller to give the buyer a lead hazard information pamphlet and disclose any known lead-based paint information. The buyer also gets an opportunity, typically ten days unless agreed otherwise, for a lead-based paint risk assessment or inspection, unless they waive it. This applies in addition to the SPDS.

Never send money based on wiring instructions received only by email or text. Criminals impersonate escrow officers and agents with convincing messages. Before wiring anything, call the escrow company at a phone number you've verified independently, such as from your contract or the company's official website, and confirm the instructions. If anything changes suddenly, stop and verify again.

A contingent offer depends on something happening first, most often the buyer selling their current home. It protects the buyer from owning two homes at once, but some sellers prefer offers without that condition. Every AAR contract also includes standard contingencies, like the inspection period and appraisal. Your agent can explain how a sale contingency might affect your offer's strength.

Pre-qualification is usually a quick estimate based on information you provide. Pre-approval goes further: the lender reviews your income, assets and credit and issues a letter stating what it's willing to lend, subject to conditions. Sellers usually take pre-approval more seriously. Talk with a lender about which one you have and what's still needed for final loan approval.

Arizona buyers should check a few things that may not come up elsewhere. Some areas have expansive clay soils, earth fissures or subsidence, which a structural engineer can evaluate. Confirm the water provider, or the well, for the property. Ask whether flood insurance is needed. Review HOA rules carefully. Your inspection period is the time to research all of these.

It's a statutory disclosure required for certain sales of land in unincorporated areas of a county. The seller must provide it at least seven days before the transfer, and under the AAR contract within five days after acceptance. The buyer then has five days after receiving it to rescind. Ask your agent or an attorney whether it applies to your property.

The buyer usually pays for the home inspection and any specialized inspections they choose, such as roof, pool, sewer or pest inspections. These are typically paid when the inspection is done, not at closing. Since the inspection protects the buyer, it's worth choosing a qualified inspector. Your agent can share referrals, but you're welcome to hire anyone you like.

An attorney isn't part of every Arizona transaction, because title and escrow companies handle the closing and the AAR contract serves as the escrow instructions. Your agent explains the process but can't give legal advice. Consider hiring a real estate attorney if you have legal questions about the contract, title issues, a dispute or an unusual situation.

Fix items that buyers will notice and that inspections commonly flag, such as leaks, broken fixtures and AC problems, and keep receipts. Major remodels right before selling often don't pay for themselves, so get advice first. Repairs you skip may come up in the BINSR anyway. A walkthrough with your listing agent can help you set priorities.

An acknowledgment confirms that you are who you say you are and that you signed the document willingly. A jurat goes further: you sign in front of me and swear or affirm that the contents of the document are true. The document or the office that requested it decides which one you need; I can't choose it for you.

An oath or affirmation is a spoken promise, made before a notary under penalty of perjury, that a statement is true. An oath refers to a supreme being, and an affirmation doesn't, so you can choose whichever fits your beliefs. Oaths and affirmations are often part of a jurat, and they can also stand on their own.

Generally, no. Arizona's accepted forms of identification, such as a driver license, nonoperating ID or U.S. passport, must be unexpired. If your ID has expired, renew it before the appointment if you can. If that isn't possible, call me first and we'll talk about whether a credible witness who personally knows you could vouch for your identity instead.

Arizona allows a credible witness to vouch for a signer's identity. The credible witness must personally know the signer, take an oath before me and sign my notary journal, and the signer signs the journal too. Call 480-550-2871 before booking so we can confirm the plan.

Sometimes. Arizona's notary manual allows a signer to prove identity with the official mobile ID app issued by the jurisdiction, such as a state's mobile driver license app. A photo or screenshot of your ID isn't the same thing and won't work. To avoid any problems on the day, bring your physical, unexpired ID to the appointment as well.

Not by me. For a traditional Arizona notarization, the signer must appear in the notary's presence; a video call isn't allowed. Arizona does have remote online notarization, but it requires a separate authorization from the Secretary of State, and my appointments are in person. The good news is that I come to you, wherever you are in the state.

Arizona requires notaries to keep a journal of every notarial act. Each entry includes the date, a description of the document and the notarial act, the type of ID used, and the printed name, address and signature of each signer. The journal is a record that helps protect you and everyone else involved if a notarization is ever questioned.

Yes. Arizona lets a notary refuse if they aren't satisfied that the signer has the capacity to sign or is signing knowingly and voluntarily. I'll also stop if the signer can't be properly identified. If I refuse, I note the reason in my journal. A handwritten document, on its own, isn't a reason to refuse.

A jurat can't be done on a document with blank spaces or missing pages, and Arizona's Secretary of State recommends notaries not notarize acknowledgments with obvious blanks either. Fill in every blank before I arrive, and make sure all pages are there. If you're not sure what belongs in a blank, ask whoever prepared or requested the document; I can't fill it in or tell you what to write.

Yes. Arizona notaries can notarize a document written in a foreign language, as long as the notarial certificate is in a language I read and understand. I also have to be able to communicate with the signer. If we need a translator to communicate, they must be physically present with the signer and me at the time of the notarization.

No. In many countries, a notario is a licensed legal professional, but an Arizona notary public is not. Arizona notaries who aren't attorneys may not call themselves notario or notario publico. I am not an attorney licensed to practice law in this state, so I can't give legal advice or prepare legal documents for you.

No. Arizona notaries don't have the authority to issue apostilles or certificates of authentication. If your document is going to another country, ask the office that will receive it what it requires. I can notarize your signature on the document first, if a notarization is needed, and then you can request the apostille from the proper state office.

Sometimes. Arizona notaries can certify a copy of a document that isn't a public record and can't be publicly recorded, and the fee is up to $10 per page certified. I can't certify copies of public records like birth certificates, court records or recorded deeds. For those, request a certified copy from the office that keeps the record.

The notary fee is per notarial act. For acknowledgments and jurats, Arizona caps the fee at $10 per notary signature, so a document with three notarized signatures has three notary fees. The travel fee is separate and quoted before the appointment. Tell me how many documents and signatures you have when you call, and I'll give you a total.

I'm based in Surprise, AZ, and work all over the West Valley, including Waddell, Wickenburg, Glendale, Peoria, Sun City, El Mirage, Goodyear, Buckeye and Phoenix. I also offer statewide service. The travel fee depends on the trip, and I always quote it before the appointment, so call 480-550-2871 with your location.

Yes. Motor vehicle documents are among the paperwork I notarize, and I can meet you at your home, office or another location to sign them. Bring the complete, unsigned document and valid ID for each signer. If you aren't sure whether your vehicle paperwork needs a notarization, check with the agency or person who gave it to you first.

Yes. I notarize divorce paperwork, along with other family documents like adoption, domestic partnership documents and wills. I can't tell you which forms to file or what to put in them, so work with the court, your attorney or the person who prepared the documents for that. Once your paperwork is ready, call 480-550-2871 to book.

It depends on the document, not on the notary. Some documents, such as certain wills or healthcare directives, may call for witnesses in addition to a notarization. Check with whoever prepared or requested your document. If witnesses are required, have them at the appointment with their own ID, and tell me ahead of time so I'm prepared.