If it's an $xx sale, normally your only choice is paypal. Using an escrow service for that size of transaction doesn't make economic sense. So, you either need to deal only with people you trust, or take the chance of losing the money.

If the transaction is $60 or more, you can do the transaction through Sedo. So long as the domain is parked with Sedo, they only take a 10% commission. You simply get the buyer to make an offer through Sedo for the amount you agreed to, and then you accept the offer through Sedo.

If you are going to get serious about buying and selling domains, it makes sense to get certified at Sedo. Nobody really likes Sedo much, but they are the main marketplace around.