advice for heading in the right direction regarding home ownership

[Misfire]

If the negative info on your credit report is inaccurate, dispute it. Do it yourself as it's not that hard and paying someone is just a waste of money.

If the negative info on your credit report is accurate, that sucks. If everything's paid now, those marks will fade over time.

You don't need a credit card to get a loan. (Hell's Bells, you just got OUT of debt. Why jump back in???) Find a mortgage company that does manual underwriting and show them how you've paid your rent and utilities on time for the past two years and you'll be fine.

Put at least 20% down to avoid paying for private mortgage insurance. If you can't save 20%, you probably can't afford a house.