Pretty much everyone that I've ever rented to has a bad score.

You can also have the seller Hold back a second mortgage to come to closing with a lesser amount.

Credit score, I'm not as concerned with.  

. - start talking to banks/credit unions first as well as nail down my credit score) but my next step will be to looking into local REI clubs and get more localized information.

My financial situation is as follows:Credit Score : 740-750Credit card utilization : 10-20%max (aka very little credit card debt)No car PaymentOwe 134k on my house that I purchased in April 2013.

Once renting isn't any cheaper than buying, and now that some time has gone by and people are re-establishing credit and getting scores up, they may move into becoming buyers again. 

I have good credit score, good equity but tons of write-offs on my taxes, and it is very difficult to get a Home equity line.

From June 2014 to now, there might be in total of 5 months of unemploymentI have an excellent credit score and I believe I can put down more than 3.5%. 

My credit score is crap, somewhere around 520.

So, you appear to be in the right ballpark.My understanding for a "good" credit score would be 720 or higher.  750 or higher for the best rates.