Receiver recommendations?

Hello there! I am starting to build my home theater
setup, one piece at a time. I started with some decent
speakers, and now I am looking for a receiver with
pre-amp outputs to make room for an amp. Preferably
around $300 (used is OK).

Can someone recommend one to watch for? I had been eyeing
the Kenwood VR-510 and a couple of Maranz models. I don't
have any particular brand loyalty, I just don't want to
shell out big $$ for just a pre-amp at this time.