With other types of liens, depending on how much you owe and your state laws, your home or other property can be encumbered after the debt is incurred, so you can't borrow against it or sell it without satisfying the debt. In very extreme circumstances, it may be sold to satisfy the lien.
In these cases, it's best to negotiate with the lienholder for some kind of payment arrangement that will help you both get what you need. Selling property is always a strategy of last resort. If you can make a valiant effort at payment, you may well find yourself in a manageable situation.
Once the lien is paid, the person or company who is owed money can file to have it released. This generally happens fairly quickly. Always keep a copy of the lien release on file just in case it isn't properly cleared, or there's a question later.