Hi jplee3,
My name is Travis and I’m an employee at HomeAway. I’m glad to see you’re booking your next vacation at a VRBO.com property and already communicating with the owner! I just wanted to let you know that at VRBO.com we strongly recommend getting a written agreement from the owner before making any payments. The rental agreement should include arrival/departure dates, payment schedules, and pet policies, as well as cancellation/refund terms and conditions. While you can choose any method of payment you and the owner prefer, you should never pay by a wire transfer such as Western Union.
I hope this information is useful.
Happy renting!
Travis
HomeAway Customer Support
VRBO.com – A HomeAway website