Which seller lists sell in Arizona? 14 counties, counted
By Josh MillerUpdated 4 min readAcross the Arizona counties we could measure, the list that sold best was expired and cancelled listings: about 9 of every 100 sold off-market within 12 months, against about 1.5 for a house picked at random. Free and clear owners, the most-mailed list, sold at about 1.5 per 100.
Across 14 Arizona counties with records we could trust, about 1.5 of every 100 single-family homes sold off-market in an arm's-length sale over 12 months, about 34,084 homes, and about 31 of every 100 sales went without an MLS listing. Which of those sellers could you have found on a list first? We counted every list in every Arizona county with enough records to measure.
The count, list by list
| List | Of every 100, sold | Any house, at random | Counties | Owners on it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listing expired or cancelled | 8.9 | 1.5 | 10 | 14,603 |
| Foreclosure filed | 8.1 | 1.5 | 3 | 1,132 |
| Lien filed against the property | 4.8 | 1.5 | 4 | 8,593 |
| Behind on taxes, 5 or more years | 3.2 | 1.3 | 5 | 4,367 |
| Behind on taxes, 2 to 4 years | 2.8 | 1.6 | 8 | 42,873 |
| Sitting vacant | 2.4 | 1.5 | 5 | 21,440 |
| High equity, living elsewhere | 1.8 | 1.7 | 14 | 505,955 |
| Owns it free and clear | 1.5 | 1.6 | 14 | 771,564 |
| Judgment against the owner | 1.3 | 1.4 | 3 | 8,403 |
| Owner 65+, living elsewhere | 1.3 | 1.8 | 13 | 163,160 |
Source: GoForClose count of off-market, arm's-length deeds in county records. A county is counted for a list only where the list was big enough to measure; lists measurable in fewer than 3 Arizona counties are left out. Counties whose records don't mark MLS sales are left out entirely.
What stands out
Expired listings and foreclosures lead. About 9 of every 100 owners whose listing expired sold off-market within a year, across 10 counties, and about 8 of every 100 with a foreclosure filed, across 3.
Pinal County's liens stand out. About 11 of every 100 owners with a lien filed sold off-market within a year there, and Pinal sold off-market at about 2.1 of every 100 homes a year, well above Maricopa's 1.4. Owners over 65 living elsewhere sold at about 1.3 per 100, slower than a random house, even in retirement country.
The biggest counties
| County | Listing expired or cancelled | Foreclosure filed | Lien filed against the property | Sitting vacant | Owns it free and clear | Any house |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maricopa County | 7.7 | 8.3 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| Pima County | 11.4 | 6.8 | 5.3 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| Pinal County | 9.9 | 8.5 | 11.1 | 2.2 | 2.1 | |
| Yavapai County | 8.8 | 1.4 | 1.5 | |||
| Mohave County | 9.1 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.8 |
Source: GoForClose count of off-market, arm's-length deeds in county records.
How Arizona forecloses
Arizona forecloses outside the courts. The trustee records a notice of sale at least 90 days before the trustee's sale. That sets how long a pre-foreclosure owner has, and how long you should keep writing. What the filing is called, state by state. This is general information, not legal advice.
Check your county
The state number hides real differences between counties. Read Maricopa County. Or see when each list sells in any Arizona county.
Questions investors ask
What is the best motivated seller list in Arizona?
Across the Arizona counties we could measure, expired and cancelled listings: about 9 of every 100 sold off-market within 12 months, across 10 counties. A house picked at random sold at about 1.5 per 100.
How many homes sell off-market in Arizona?
About 34,084 single-family homes sold off-market in an arm's-length sale over 12 months across 14 Arizona counties we could measure, about 1.5 of every 100 homes and 31 of every 100 sales.
Should I mail free and clear owners in Arizona?
Not first. Free and clear owners sold off-market at about 1.5 per 100 within a year across 14 Arizona counties, about the rate of a random house. Lists that start with a filing sold far better.
Does Arizona foreclose through the courts?
Arizona forecloses outside the courts. The trustee records a notice of sale at least 90 days before the trustee's sale.