We know what some of you are thinking: Who's thinking of buying a house right now? Well, in fact, plenty of people—even in the face of the mounting coronavirus pandemic and fears of a looming recession. Because life goes on. Mortgage rates are at all-time lows. And people need to buy homes for the same reasons they usually do—getting married, having kids, downsizing, retiring, or relocating. But buying a home remains an incredibly intimidating task—and the first step, getting a mortgage, sometimes seems like facing a sheer cliff without climbing gear. You’ve got to make sure your credit is acceptable. You’ve got to look at your debt-to-income ratio and make sure your employment situation meets the standards of the bank.