I am a huge fan of renting points, which I do once or twice a year. If you can't find anyone on the rent/trade board, you may consider looking into a points broker (there's one who advertises here). I prefer going through individual owners, but only because the brokers charge more. For some people, the safety of using a broker makes it worth it. They'll also make your ADRs, etc. If you use a broker, you can pay with a credit card as well.
I usually find the owners I work with will take checks, but it's not a huge hassle to set up a paypal account.
You'll get housekeeping on Wednesdays but you can pay extra and get it more often.
Good luck. If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me.