Carolyn, we use VRBO and AirBNB a lot and can't think of one terrible experience? We pay close attention to the photos and reviews, we prefer places with a lot of current reviews, but have taken chances with few reviews. We like the properties with a lot of quality pics to get a feel for condition and layout. Example...If a property has 2 bedrooms and the owner only posts pic of one, the coffee pot, the couch and 10 pics of town scenes they lose my attention and I don't consider them. If we can get the actual address we'll google map the street views. A decent cancellation policy is always a plus. We want to travel abroad asap, still waiting for covid to run its course, hopefully this summer travel will be simpler.