Many retirees who have been struggling to qualify for a mortgage, find that post-retirement incomes aren’t sufficient enough to get a loan under today’s tough underwriting standards.  The problem is more pronounced for retirees making payments on a car loan, credit cards or home equity lines of credit.  They are under qualified with today’s low “DEBT-TO-INCOME” standards.  Mortgage giant Freddie Mac is now allowing retirees – and others – to use income from their 401(k), IRA and other retirement assets to qualify for a loan.  That, in turn,” might open the door to a money-saving refinancing to a lower rate loan or a downsizing purchase of a new house or condo,” reports the Washington Post of May 23, 2013.  The retirement account balances can be used to supplement their incomes for underwriting purposes, but the borrower does not actually have to draw from those balances in order to get a mortgage.  With home prices beginning to rise, this is good news for RETIREES.