About the MRF 350, I thought the 300 was just about as
good? Is the 350 definitly advisable?

I'm also considering buying a MX-950 with MRF station...
I was wondering is there any mainstream stores that I
could go to that would sell the MX-950 so I could see
it physically (I've heard its rather large) and get an
idea for its heft before buying. Such as Best Buy etc,
anyone know a mainstream store that carries the MX-950.
I live in Orlando, so pretty big city lots of stores.

About the OP budget, you should be able to get MRF station
and the remote for under $500 new I'd think but depends
who you buy from.