Seller guide
How to compare cash offers for your Arizona house: 10 questions to ask before signing
Cash buyers are not interchangeable, and the biggest number on the page is not automatically the most money in your pocket. These are the ten questions we would ask any cash buyer before signing — including us. Print them, ask them, and watch how each buyer reacts.
1. Can you show me proof of funds?
A serious cash buyer can produce a recent bank statement or a bank letter showing liquid funds — in the name of the entity that will sign your contract. If the "proof" is a screenshot, months old, in a different company's name, or a letter from a lender who only funds for 24 hours, the "cash" offer may really be a plan to find money later. No proof of funds, no signature.
2. Are you buying the house yourself, or assigning the contract?
Watch for "and/or assigns" next to the buyer's name. It means the buyer can sell your contract to a third party — wholesaling — and if no end buyer materializes, the deal quietly dies. Arizona law is on your side here: under A.R.S. § 44-5101, a wholesale buyer must tell you in writing, before any binding agreement, that they intend to assign the contract. If they don't, you can cancel any time before close of escrow and keep their earnest money. Ask the question directly and get the answer in writing.
3. How much earnest money — and when does it go hard?
Earnest money is the deposit the buyer forfeits if they walk without a contractual reason. A buyer risking $500 on a $300,000 house has almost no skin in the game. Ask how much they deposit, with whom (it should be the escrow company, never the buyer's own account), and when it becomes non-refundable. Serious buyers put up meaningful deposits that go hard quickly.
4. How long is your inspection period — and do you re-trade?
The classic bait: win the deal with a high offer, then "discover" problems during a long inspection period and demand a price cut when you're out of time to restart. Ask: Was this offer made sight-unseen? How long is your inspection period? Have you re-negotiated price after going under contract before? An offer made after a real walkthrough, with a short or waived inspection period, is worth more than a higher number that hasn't seen the roof yet.
5. Which title and escrow company will handle closing?
In Arizona, closings run through licensed, neutral escrow agents — usually a title company. Any legitimate buyer names theirs immediately. Be cautious of anyone who wants to use documents outside escrow, asks you to sign a deed directly, or can't name the title company they close with.
6. What fees come out of my side at closing?
"No fees" should mean it. Ask each buyer to state, in writing, what appears on your side of the settlement statement: commissions, "transaction fees," "processing fees," title and escrow charges. (At AZ Home Cash we pay standard closing costs and charge no commissions or fees — and you should make every buyer, including us, put that in the contract.)
7. When can you actually close — and can you prove it?
Anyone can promise "7 days." Ask what their average time from contract to close was on their last few purchases, and what caused delays. If your timeline has a hard deadline — a trustee's sale date, a move — the buyer's track record matters more than their marketing.
8. What happens to my mortgage, liens, and past-due balances?
Loan balances, tax liens, HOA arrears, and judgments are normally paid out of your proceeds at closing by the title company — they don't block a sale, they just come out of the math. A capable buyer explains this without flinching and involves the title company early. See our guide to selling a house with liens in Arizona for the details.
9. What is my actual net?
Compare offers on one number: what hits your account at closing. Ask each buyer for a seller net sheet — offer price minus payoffs, prorated taxes, and any fees. Then compare that against what listing would net you after repairs, commissions, and months of holding costs. Our cash offer vs. listing calculator does that math with your numbers in about a minute.
10. What happens if you cancel?
Ask what you keep if the buyer walks (their earnest money — confirm the amount), how often that has happened, and whether they'll agree in writing to a specific closing date. A buyer confident in their funding won't hesitate; a buyer planning to shop your contract will get vague.
Red flags worth walking away from
- No verifiable proof of funds, or proof in a different name than the contract.
- An offer well above everyone else's, paired with a long inspection period — the setup for a re-trade.
- Pressure to sign today, notarize documents outside escrow, or sign anything transferring the deed before closing.
- Tiny or refundable-forever earnest money.
- Refusal to answer the wholesaling question in writing.
How we answer these questions
We're a direct buyer — we purchase in our own name, provide proof of funds with the offer, use a licensed Arizona title company, pay standard closing costs, and put the closing date in the contract. Ask us these ten questions on the phone and compare our answers to anyone else's: 602-462-8891. See the full process on our how it works page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the highest cash offer always the best offer?
No. A common tactic is to win the contract with the highest number, then cut the price after an "inspection" when you're already committed. A slightly lower offer with verifiable funds, real earnest money, and no re-negotiation frequently nets more — and actually closes.
What should proof of funds look like?
A recent bank statement or bank letter showing liquid funds, in the name of the entity signing your contract. Screenshots, stale statements, and third-party "transactional funding" letters are weaker proof.
What does "and/or assigns" mean in an offer?
The buyer can sell your contract to someone else instead of buying the house — wholesaling. Under A.R.S. § 44-5101 they must disclose this to you in writing before a binding agreement; if they don't, you may cancel before close of escrow and keep the earnest money.
What is a re-trade?
A price cut demanded during the inspection period, after you've signed and taken the house off the market. Short or waived inspection periods and offers made after a real walkthrough are the protection.
Official sources
- A.R.S. § 44-5101 — wholesale buyer and seller disclosure requirements, and the seller's cancellation remedy.
- A.R.S. § 33-813 — reinstatement rights if you're selling ahead of a trustee's sale deadline.
Disclaimer: This guide is general information for Arizona home sellers, not legal advice, and reading it does not create any professional relationship. Statute references are current as of the last-updated date above, but laws change. For advice on a specific contract, have an Arizona real estate attorney review it before signing. AZ Home Cash is a home buyer and one of the buyers you should apply these questions to.