Sorry, I meant PMI, not homeowner's insurance. The GP said "mortgage insurance" and that's what I was referring to. I absolutely have and was required to obtain homeowner's insurance to get a loan.
That's only true if you're putting down less than 20%. Once you're over 20% lenders don't care. I recently put 50% down on a house and did not have to get insurance. The lender said it was one of the cleanest loans they've ever done.