This one is for the Ladies

[Lois Ginter]

I am a woman just starting my venture as a landlord.  I have 25 years of tax, HR, accounting and systems project management experience in Fortune 250 companies from my previous career.  While I know I have much to learn about being a landlord, I seem to get a lot of unsolicited and obvious advice from the male gender on how I should run my business, especially from people not in real estate. 

Ummm Dude.....,I know I need to file taxes, do the bookkeeping, screen tenants, have strong leases, insurance, and know a bit more that the average dame when it comes to structural issues and maintenance since my parents were builders.  What I don't know I will research, and what I can't do I will hire an expert.   Funny none of these men were around "helping" when I was working my tail off in cubicle hell and saving the money so I could go into business for myself.  

Not to bash you men out there, but ladies, do you have the same experiences?  Does your gender make you a target for stupid advice on the obvious?  Do men think that you don't know which end of the hammer to hold?  Is reading IRS publications and filing a tax return really on par with launching a rocket?