Moving From Australia to Phoenix: How Buying a Home Works

If you are moving from Australia to Phoenix, the home-buying process will feel familiar in spirit but different in the details. In Arizona, your own buyer's agent helps you find and negotiate, a neutral title and escrow company handles the money and paperwork, and many homes sit inside homeowners associations with their own rules.

See all homesCall Terry: 602-483-4665

How buying differs from Australia

A few things catch Australian buyers off guard when they start looking in the Valley:

• No auctions, usually. Homes are sold by private offer. You make a written offer with a price, deposit (called earnest money), timelines and conditions, and the seller can accept, counter or decline.
• Your own agent. In Arizona you can have your own buyer's agent who works for you, separate from the listing agent who works for the seller. We will sign a written buyer agreement that explains how I am paid.
• An inspection period after the offer. Instead of inspecting before you bid, Arizona contracts typically give you an inspection period after your offer is accepted. You hire inspectors, review the reports and can ask the seller for repairs or cancel within the contract's rules.
• Title and escrow, not a conveyancer. A title and escrow company holds your earnest money, orders title insurance, collects signatures and pays everyone at closing.
• Square feet, not square metres. Listings show living area in square feet. Divide by about 10.8 to get a rough figure in square metres.

Financing as a newcomer

If you plan to borrow, talk with a US lender early. Lenders look at credit history, income documentation and residency, and newcomers without a US credit file sometimes need a lender who has worked with international buyers. Some buyers pay cash and refinance later. Whatever your path, get a pre-approval letter before we write offers so sellers take you seriously.

Heat, compared with an Australian summer

If you know a hot inland summer, you have a head start. Phoenix summers are long, very hot and mostly dry, with a monsoon season that can bring dust storms and short, heavy storms. What that means for the home you choose:

• Covered patios and shade trees make the backyard usable for more of the year.
• The AC is the most important system in the house. Ask its age and service records.
• A pool is common and gets used from spring to fall. It needs regular maintenance, so budget time or a pool service.
• West-facing windows get hot afternoon sun. Shade screens and good window coverings help.

Outdoor living you will recognise

Australians tend to love how much of Valley life happens outdoors from October to May: backyard grills, patio dinners, mountain hiking trails and golf. Look for homes with an outdoor kitchen area, a covered patio, a low-maintenance desert yard and room for a shade structure. Many neighborhoods have parks and walking paths built in.

HOAs explained

Many Valley neighborhoods, especially newer master-planned communities, have a homeowners association. The HOA maintains common areas and enforces rules on things like paint colors, parking, yard upkeep and short-term rentals. You get the HOA documents during escrow. Read them, especially if you plan to rent the home while you are away or park a boat or caravan.

Buying from Australia

With an 18-hour time gap right now, I schedule video tours for your evening or early morning. Plan on:

• Live video walk-throughs of every room, the yard and the street
• Electronic signing for most documents
• Asking the title company early about signing your final closing documents from abroad, which may need a notary or a US consulate
• One visit to see your shortlist, if you can

Assumable loans

Some Valley homes have FHA or VA loans that a qualified buyer can take over with the servicer's approval. Eligibility depends on the loan program and your situation, so ask your lender whether an assumption is an option for you before you look at those homes.

Frequently asked questions

Can Australians buy a house in Phoenix?

Many buyers who are new to the US buy homes in Arizona. Talk with a US lender about financing and with an immigration attorney about visa questions, which this post does not cover.

Are there property auctions in Phoenix like in Australia?

Most Phoenix homes are sold by private written offer, not auction. Your offer is a contract with a price, deposit and deadlines.

What does escrow mean in Arizona?

A neutral title and escrow company holds your deposit, handles title insurance and paperwork, and pays everyone at closing.

Is Phoenix hotter than Australian summers?

Phoenix summers are long and very hot, and the air is usually dry. Plan for shade, a reliable AC system and a pool or covered patio.

What is the time difference between Sydney and Phoenix?

Right now Sydney is on daylight time (UTC+11) and Phoenix is on Mountain Standard Time (UTC-7), an 18-hour difference. Phoenix does not change its clocks, so the gap shifts when Sydney changes.

Planning a move from Australia? Call Terry Day at DeLex Realty, 602-483-4665, and we will set up tours that fit your time zone.

See all homesCall Terry: 602-483-4665