Question about Craigslist: should I go ahead with it? (Details inside)

I’ve been room-searching for the past few weeks and the other day I came across something that I liked. I went to check it out yesterday and liked what I saw: the house, the room, the people who live there, the price, etc. The girl who posted the ad said she really liked me and thought I would be a great fit and that, even though she still had to show the room to one more person that afternoon, she was pretty sure she was going to choose me. We agreed on the terms and she said I could sign the lease on Thursday and move in any time after that. I didn’t get any bad vibes from her or the other 2 people who live there and they were pretty welcoming.

However, even though I’m brand-new to Craigslist, I’m aware of the fact that there are all sorts of scammers out there and, let’s face it, this is NYC after all. Also, I can be a bit naive when it comes to people because I tend to trust them and their intentions a little too easily (I’m a small-town girl).

My reason for being concerned is that she asked me to make the security deposit and first month’s rent payment in money orders and I just saw on Craigslist that they warn against it. I would much rather pay with personal checks, but I understand that she needs to protect her interests and all, but so do I…

My main questions are: 1) Should I go ahead and give her the benefit of the doubt a scary thought seeing as I’m putting all my money on the line and it’s well over $1000? and 2) How do I go about making an arrangement that would strike a fair compromise between personal checks and money orders that would ensure both of us are safe and not left feeling that we might end up being taken for a ride by the other person?

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!! :)