[worth]

I have a question for you guys:

My friends want to rent a furnished condo for 4 days. The renter does not accept credit cards and has drafted a contract.

Contract states 50% is due at time of booking and the other 50% due 30 days before we get there. So we would have to email money transfer 100% of the funds prior to arriving at the condo.

Is this the way these things are done? I do not really feel comfortable because we'd be giving this guy straight up cash. With a credit card there is fraud prevention and insurance.

Legit, or should we keep looking?

This is the main text of the contract:

Spoiler!

Guest(s) agree(s) to lease this dwelling for a term of X DAYS beginning (date) and ending (date) for (US dollars) XXX payable in advance to (owner) whose
address is XXX.
½ of the payment is due at time of booking and the final payment, including the tax and
cleaning fee is due 30 days prior to your arrival.

The security deposit on this dwelling is XXX.

The cleaning fee on this dwelling is XXX.

Add 10.5% to rent for City TOT Tax.

The final payment and security deposit for the above dwelling is due thirty days (30)
before taking possession of the house.

The security deposit is refundable if the Guest(s) leave(s) the dwelling reasonably clean
and undamaged.

Owner will refund all deposits due within 7 days after Guest(s) has/have moved out
completely and returned all keys.

Only 14 (number) of people are to live in this dwelling.

Thanks