Indianapolis Area:  Need advice on finding a lender that works with people with bad credit in 540 area.

It's a semi-large bank and working with a local credit union seems more appealing (plus the added benefit of proving him completely wrong). 

If you haven't already, I would recommend finding a real estate agent that you trust, and also start talking to lenders (banks, mortgage brokers, credit unions, etc.)

Generally, will 2.5yrs of US credit history be enough in my specific case (assuming everything else is in check)?

You can not practice real estate, but you still need to maintain your ce credits.

I got a HELOC a while back through Pentagon Federal Credit Union.

Credit cards?

.- Personal Articles: Coverage for belongings that have a special or collectors value such as Jewelry, Furs, Fine Arts, Collectibles, etc...Depending on which company is being quoted, some of these otherfactors may get you credits:- Insurance Score (company pulls certain info out of your credit report)   It is not your credit score but generally better credit will result in a    better score- Time at your job- Education level- time at current residenceGood Luck

I have great credit, and no claims filed in the past 5 years. 

The refinance and repeat.B) Use HELOC to pay off all our debt (car loans, credit cards, etc) about 43k.