Infonavit loan: complete guide to pre-qualify and choose a product

Workers who contribute to the IMSS and have a current or recent employment relationship can apply for a loan. The Institute considers the continuity of contributions, the daily integrated salary, age and the type of employer (private, government by subrogation, parastatal). Independent workers not registered with the IMSS are not direct Infonavit subjects, although since 2023 there is the Infonavit for Independent Workers program with its own rules and gradual rollout.

The first step is always to activate your account at mi cuenta Infonavit with NSS, CURP and email. There you'll see available points, savings in the Housing Subaccount, product options and an estimated maximum amount. Without an official pre-qualification, any number handled by agents or sellers is indicative.

Infonavit points are a score that combines five main variables: daily integrated salary, age at the time of applying, continuous bimonthly periods contributed, balance in the Housing Subaccount and payment behavior on previous loans if applicable. At least 1,080 points are required to start the process for most products.

Salary and age are the factors that weigh most. The higher the integrated salary and the closer the age is to 30-45, the higher the score. Continuous bimonthly periods penalize gaps between employment relationships. Savings in the Subaccount not only grant points: they are also applied to the down payment, reducing the loan amount.

The maximum loan amount depends on the product and the profile. The Institute operates a catalog with several products: Tradicional, ConYOLO (young people), Unamos Créditos (joint with a relative or spouse), Mejoravit (home improvement), ConstruYO (self-construction) and Crédito Seguro, among others. Each product has a table of maximum amount, term, rate and operating rules.

The Tradicional loan finances up to a certain multiple of salary and savings. Unamos Créditos adds the capacities of two contributors (spouses, partners, direct relatives), raising the available amount. Infonavit + bank co-financing combines the Institute's loan with a bank one, raising the total amount by adding payment capacities, with two parallel contracts. ConYOLO is aimed at young people with a specific profile.

Rates are referenced to the UMA (Unit of Measure and Update) or to minimum wages depending on the product. Amortization is by payroll: your employer deducts directly and remits to Infonavit. If you lose your job, you have a deferral of up to 12 months without payment, subject to conditions.

Not all properties are eligible. The operating rules require the property to have residential use, basic services connected (water, drainage, electricity), regularized documentation (public deed, lien-free status, property tax up to date) and an appraisal within the loan range. Properties in areas with declared geological risk, without residential land use or with structural problems may be rejected.

For new housing, the developer must be registered in the Single Housing Registry (RUV) and the project must have a current housing-supply rating. For used housing, an independent bank appraisal and a documentation review are carried out.

In addition to the down payment and financed amount, the Infonavit loan involves closing costs. These include the bank appraisal, the loan-origination fee, deed costs (ISAI, registry fees, notary fees), life and property insurance premium and complementary fees. The total is usually between 6% and 10% of the loan value.

Some costs can be financed within the loan or paid at signing. Ask the notary and the Infonavit agent for a written breakdown of each item before signing. The notarial note is the document where all items appear with their exact amounts.

When the Infonavit amount isn't enough for the desired property, co-financing lets you add a bank loan. There are variants with different partner banks and their own rules. What you gain in amount, you pay in complexity: two contracts, two sets of fees, two insurance policies, two simultaneous amortizations (one by payroll, another by direct charge).

The bank loan provides a fixed or variable rate depending on the product and a term of up to 20 years. Payment capacity is calculated relative to the applicant's gross income. Some banks add a spouse's income without requiring IMSS contributions. Compare the CAT (Total Annual Cost) across three banks before choosing.

The most frequent delays come from documentation. Property-tax receipts with arrears, old lien-free certificates, unregistered deeds, co-owners unknown at the start, problems with land subdivision or unlicensed constructions are the usual triggers. The second group of delays comes from the appraisal: when the bank appraisal is lower than the agreed price, the buyer must cover the difference, renegotiate the price or withdraw.

The overall process takes between 30 and 90 days from pre-qualification to signing, depending on the quality of the seller's documents. The milestones: pre-qualification at mi cuenta Infonavit, product selection, the Infonavit workshop (in person or digital), starting the process with a CESI (Infonavit Service Center) or developer, choosing a notary, appraisal, file assembly, qualification, deed signing and loan disbursement.

After signing, the loan begins to amortize from the next payroll period. The deduction appears automatically on your pay stub and the balance is reflected in your Infonavit portal. Keep all receipts and, if you change employer, verify that the new one applies the deduction from the first pay stub.