They may have a director of members in you area.

Not a lot of solo female travelers are going to want to rent a room in a shared home with a guy they don't know.

How to state in your ad that it's not co-ed like you can only accept female or male at the moment without the discrimination concerns?

Hello Ashley,  i have read your bio very impressive for a female entrepreneur.

Should I be contacting these companies direct, or through an intermediary.

We're not bound by the Fair Housing Act, since we do it all ourselves (no agent), but unfortunately California has far more restrictive criteria -- I think it's either a) you live in a SFH and only one tenant lives in there with you, b) You're renting to share a room and specify female-only or male only if you're a female/male and want to same living in same room, or c) part of a clubhouse.

Not gonna lie, it feels intimidating as a solo female that is a handful of years close to retirement. 

Most buyer side agents have just a few years experience because people at my level (decades in) are senior directors on teams for the listing side.

Disclosure - Director of PR at Do Hard Money @Krissa Willett I've looked through all of our data bases and cannot find an account in your name- is it perhaps under a business partner's name?

Or single females have been good for us as well.