Houses on a desert hillside above Phoenix at golden sunset, with distant mountains and hazy valley

Buying a home in
Phoenix

Q: Will my property tax jump after I buy?

Probably not in the way it does in Florida. Arizona taxes a limited property value, which the Maricopa County Assessor says rises by at most 5% a year and can never exceed full cash value. A change of occupant in a single-family home is not by itself a change that resets it. A major renovation or a split of the parcel can. Ask for the parcel's current limited and full cash values, and for last year's bill, before you make an offer.

Q: Can I let my Phoenix or Scottsdale home on Airbnb?

Often yes, but not always. State law says a city cannot ban short-term rentals outright, though it can require a permit, local contact, liability insurance and registration. Phoenix and Scottsdale both charge $250 a year and ask for an Arizona transaction privilege tax licence. A homeowners' association is different: if its declaration restricts rental periods, that restriction applies. Read the declaration before you offer.

Q: Is water supply a risk for the home I am buying?

For most homes inside a large city, the risk is mainly cost rather than access. Phoenix draws about 40% of its drinking water from the Colorado River and 58% from the Salt and Verde rivers, and the city says customers can expect reliable service. Newer homes on the edge of the Valley depend on who supplies them. Ask which provider serves the address and whether it holds a Designation of Assured Water Supply.

Q: Does homeowners insurance cover flood and monsoon damage?

Not flood. FEMA says most homeowners policies do not cover flood damage, which needs a separate flood policy, usually with a 30-day waiting period. Monsoon storms can bring wind, hail and flash flooding, and Maricopa County's flood district says flooding happens regularly even in this desert setting. Get insurance quotes before you commit, and check the property against the county's floodplain map.

Q: What tax do I owe if I rent the home out from Europe?

The IRS taxes US rental income of a nonresident alien at 30% of the gross, or at the lower treaty rate where one applies, unless you elect to treat the income as effectively connected. That election lets you deduct costs, taxes the net, and means filing Form 1040-NR each year until you revoke it. Arizona has a flat 2.50% rate for 2026. Confirm with a cross-border adviser how it applies to a nonresident return.

The Valley of the Sun is a large, spread-out metropolis of single-storey homes, homeowners' associations and chip plants. Property tax is low and rises slowly, which Europeans like. The questions that need real attention are water, heat, insurance and whether you may let the home by the week.

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Everything about buying in Phoenix

Short answers on this page. The full guide has the detail, the figures and the sources.

The purchase and the loan

How a purchase runs here and which loans fit.

Buying a home in Arizona
Water
Homeowners' associations

Prices, taxes and insurance

What homes cost and what you pay on top.

What homes cost
Property tax and the limited value
Heat, storms and insurance
Tax for non-residents

Letting and living

Rental rules, local life and how to get there.

If you plan to let it
Getting home

Read the full guide

Who moves here from Europe

The Valley's pull for Europeans is largely technical and academic. TSMC announced in March 2025 that it plans three more fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities and a research centre at its Phoenix site, which already employs more than 3,000 people and has been in volume production since late 2024. Intel runs chip plants in Chandler, and Arizona State University has its main campus in Tempe. Engineers, researchers and their families come on employer-sponsored or academic visas.

A second group buys a home to use part of the year and lets it the rest of the time. For both, the practical issues are the same: lending with a US salary but no US credit history, and a climate that shapes the cost of owning. See how your visa status decides the loan.

Aerial view of a long suburban street lined with homes and a park in Arizona

Phoenix at a glance

Figures last checked: 4 October 2026

This is not a lending decision: a US specialist confirms what applies to your own situation.

Asking price	Median listing price $475,000 in the Phoenix, Mesa and Scottsdale area in September 2026, against $499,000 a year earlier (Realtor.com via FRED). These are asking prices, not sale prices.
Property tax	Effective rate of 0.44% of home value in Maricopa County (Tax Foundation, 2026 data). The taxable value is a limited figure that rises by at most 5% a year (Maricopa County Assessor, tax year 2026).
Loan limit 2026	$832,750 is the 2026 baseline for a one-unit home, which applies in most counties (FHFA). Confirm the Maricopa County figure in FHFA's county lookup.
Short-term rental	Arizona cities may not ban short-term rentals outright but may require a permit. Phoenix and Scottsdale each charge $250 a year and require an Arizona transaction privilege tax licence.
State income tax	A single flat rate of 2.50% for 2026 (Tax Foundation). How it applies to a nonresident's Arizona rental income needs checking with the state or an adviser.
Flights home	On the airport's own list for 2026: nonstop to London Heathrow (American, British Airways) and Paris (Air France). Other European cities mean a connection.

Illuminated arched bridge reflected in the dark water of Tempe Town Lake at night

View of Phoenix and distant mountains through a natural rock opening in Papago Park

Aerial view of green apartment buildings with rooftop pools in Scottsdale, Arizona

Golf course green framed by tall palm trees and a lake in Scottsdale, Arizona

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Before you make an offer in Phoenix

Decide whether the home is for living in, for part-year use or for letting.
Ask the county for the parcel's full cash value, limited property value and last tax bill.
Find out which water provider serves the address and whether it holds a Designation of Assured Water Supply.
Get homeowners insurance quotes, and ask about flood cover and wind and hail deductibles.
Check the address against the county floodplain map.
Ask for the age and service history of the air conditioning and twelve months of electricity bills.
Read the association documents, assessments and rental restrictions.
Confirm the city's short-term rental permit rules and the number of days in your inspection period.
Ask a cross-border adviser about the net-income election and the Arizona return.

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Questions people moving from Europe ask

Will my property tax jump after I buy?

Can I let my Phoenix or Scottsdale home on Airbnb?

Is water supply a risk for the home I am buying?

Does homeowners insurance cover flood and monsoon damage?

What tax do I owe if I rent the home out from Europe?

Continue your research

Sources (16)

Figures and rules on this page were checked against these sources on 4 October 2026. Rates, prices and local rules change, so confirm anything you rely on before you commit.

Buying a home inPhoenix