I thought FHA had NO Credit Score requirement?

No, that has never been the case. FHA has always had a minimum score. Not only that, LENDERS have a minimum score requirement that can override any minimum score of the program. At one point years ago, FHA had a 580 minimum score, but lenders were few & far between that would approve a loan with that score. These days. the minimum is about 620, but many lenders want no parts of that low score either. And when a lender does approve a loan with scores much lower than the norm, that loan comes with a much higher rate, just like any other loan would. And therefore, that person with the lower score usually could never afford the payment. I'm an ex-mortgage broker. I advised my clients to repair their credit first. I could show most people how to increase their scores by over 100 points in less than one yr if they were serious. That's the best plan.

Great, let's just keep pushing for ways to get the unqualified into mortgages. That's the goal, right?

People, do not be fooled into believing that merely because a tax lien is removed from your credit report that a potential lender won't find out about it. A credit report is but ONE place a lien is reported. There are COUNTLESS other agencies out there reporting information about you. It even comes up in a background check. And if you are buying a home, a tax lien will show up on a title report - GUARANTEED. Not only that, when applying for a mortgage, your mortgage lender will have you sign something giving them the right to obtain your "tax transcripts" directly from the IRS. So if you are ever asked about an open tax lien, it is best to answer the question truthfully. In buying a home, the IRS will agree to subordinate a tax lien if you set up a payment plan. So as long as that payment plan does not kill your debt to income ratio, it might still be possible to buy that home. PLUS, you would need a good reason why the tax debt occurred in the first place.