Can I Get A Mortgage with an Outstanding Tax Lien?

Yes, if you meet certain conditions;

Lenders today are gun shy about doing mortgages with outstanding tax liens, but it is still possible. FHA is the only loan program out there that will allow a tax lien to remain open but there are certain conditions that apply. You must meet certain minimal conditions:

1. Your credit score (the middle score of the three bureaus, Experian, Trans Union, and Equifax) must be at least 640 or above
2. There are other criteria you must meet based on where you would like to purchase your home,  how much money you want to borrow for your purchase, and you must meet certain income to debt ratios.

The  IRS does not take superiority over a purchase money mortgage as most people believe. There are certain loan programs that will allow a mortgage to be completed with an outstanding tax lien.  The decision to lend is ultimately up to the lender.  Many people think that the IRS needs to subordinate thier lien for a purchase mortgage to be completed,  this is not true as the IRS does not require a subordination on purchase mortgages.  There are thousands of people renting because of the mortgage and tax lien dilemma, but today these types of loans are usually done on a case by case basis. Call your local lender an see if under any FHA program's that they have, will they lend with an IRS tax Lien.  Jim Colton