So Su Casita sets up a sort of synthetic mortgage, in which would-be borrowers pay money into a savings account for six months to establish their creditworthiness.
Su Casita also has a network of branch offices where borrowers can pay in cash--few Mexicans have bank accounts--and Su Casita employees can go knock on doors if a payment is late.
She hired designer Kristy Kropat, who turned a Mediterranean-style casita into a modern-industrial room with modular furniture, LED accent lights, metallic gray walls with pixelated Space Invader vinyl decals and bright pops of color.