Can I buy a house in Arizona before I move there?

How do out-of-state buyers usually do it?

1. Talk to a lender first. Arizona's Buyer Advisory says to complete a loan application before making an offer if at all possible. From another state, that letter is what makes a remote offer credible.
2. Set your monthly budget using Arizona numbers: property taxes, HOA dues and insurance vary a lot by city and community. See property tax by city and which electric utility serves an address.
3. Tour by video, then visit if you can. Your buyer's agent can walk homes on a live call. Plan the inspection period around a trip, or attend the inspection by video.
4. Sign the offer and disclosures electronically as your agent arranges, and track every contract deadline. See what not to do before closing.
5. Close remotely or in person (below).

What's the move-in rule on a primary-residence loan?

Section 6 of the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Arizona Deed of Trust (Form 3003) says the borrower must occupy and use the home as their principal residence within 60 days after signing the deed of trust, and keep living there for at least one year, unless the lender agrees otherwise in writing or circumstances beyond the borrower's control apply. FHA, VA and other programs have their own occupancy rules.

So if your move is several months out, tell your loan officer your real timeline. Buying as a second home is a different loan type with its own rules; Fannie Mae, for example, requires a second home to be a one-unit home suitable for year-round use that you occupy for some part of the year. Never describe a home as your primary residence if you don't plan to live there.

How do remote closings work in Arizona?

Arizona law lets a notary located in Arizona perform a notarial act for a remotely located signer using live audio-video, if the notary can confirm the signer's identity (for example, by two types of identity proofing), confirm it's the same document, and make an audio-video recording of the act. The recording must be kept for at least five years, and the notary must tell the Secretary of State before starting remote work (A.R.S. §41-263).

Whether you can use it depends on your lender, title company and loan program, so ask early. The other common option is signing in person with a notary where you live, arranged by your escrow company. Either way:

• Ask your escrow officer in the first week which signing options they offer and how documents will reach you.
• Get your Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing and review it.
• Confirm wiring instructions by phone at a verified number. Remote buyers are frequent targets; see avoiding wire fraud.

What tax and paperwork steps come after I move?

• Owner-occupied tax class. Arizona taxes a home the owner lives in as their primary residence as class three, which carries a lower assessment ratio (A.R.S. §42-12003). The affidavit recorded with your deed states whether the home will be owner-occupied or rented (A.R.S. §11-1133).
• Update your mailing address. County assessors send verification notices to class three owners whose mailing address is outside the county or differs from the home's address (A.R.S. §42-12052). Answer them, or the home can be reclassified.
• Driver license and vehicles. See ADOT's New to Arizona page.

Compare Arizona homes by payment from wherever you are

When you're buying from another state, it helps to know each home's real monthly cost before you book a flight.

A free account shows every home for sale that fits the monthly payment you're comfortable with, each with its real property taxes, HOA dues, estimated homeowners insurance, and mortgage insurance when it applies, plus its own closing cost estimate and APR disclosure.

Searching is free, and we never sell your information or pass it to other lenders or marketers. Only Rebel Rate Mortgage, Inc. contacts you, and only about your own search.

Related: moving to Arizona · moving from Minnesota to Mesa · property tax due dates · what a buyer's agent does · more questions.

General information, not legal advice or a loan offer. Your lender, escrow company and loan documents set the actual requirements.

More Arizona home buyer questions · Calculators · Homes by monthly budget · All Arizona cities

Sources

• Fannie Mae, Legal Documents: Arizona Deed of Trust, Form 3003 (Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Uniform Instrument), Sections 5 and 6 (standard form, July 2021 edition; retrieved October 20, 2026)
• Fannie Mae Selling Guide, B2-1.1-01 Occupancy Types (10/05/2022) (retrieved October 20, 2026)
• Arizona Revised Statutes §41-263 (notarial act performed for a remotely located individual) (retrieved October 20, 2026)
• Arizona Secretary of State, Remote & eNotary (retrieved October 20, 2026)
• Arizona Revised Statutes §42-12003 (class three property: owner's primary residence) (retrieved October 20, 2026)
• Arizona Revised Statutes §42-12052 (review and verification of class three property) (retrieved October 20, 2026)
• Arizona Revised Statutes §11-1133 (affidavit of legal value recorded with a deed) (retrieved October 20, 2026)
• Arizona Department of Real Estate and Arizona REALTORS®, Buyer Advisory (updated January 2025)
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Review documents before closing (retrieved October 20, 2026)
• Arizona Department of Transportation MVD, New to Arizona

Frequently asked questions