Zeus Owner Spotlight: Tommy and Cat Cullinan

Zeus Owner Spotlight is a new series we’ve created to share our owners’ stories and experiences. In this edition, we chatted with Tommy and Cat Cullinan, a couple who works at the U.S. Department of State and partners with Zeus to rent out their Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Virginia homes. The Cullinans share their experience with Zeus, the ins and outs of real estate investing, and discuss their time spent overseas.

Tell us about your two rental properties. How did you come to own each home?

Cat: It started with my carriage house in Washington, D.C.’s historic Georgetown neighborhood. My sister was renting the home from a woman who belonged to our church. But when she passed, the home was donated to my church. Shortly after, they put it on the market. Since my sister lived there, she had the first right to buy it, and she offered her right to me when I returned from an assignment in Iraq. I loved the property—it’s a unique home that was built in 1805. It has so much charm and is a special property for my family; I’m one of three girls, and we’ve all lived there. 

I lived in the home until Tommy and I were married. But once we began traveling internationally, I rented it out, which was challenging because renters didn’t take the best care of it. 

Tommy: And then there’s our Arlington property. After we married, we both went overseas and completed an assignment in Iraq. We saved a lot of money together and knew we wanted to do something with it other than your typical 401k or investment vehicle. 

We decided to invest in real estate and put everything we had into a home we found off-market in Arlington, Virginia. The house needed a lot of attention, but it had potential and sat in a great neighborhood that was poised to grow. We thought it would be a great project to work on together. 

We quickly renovated the whole place from top to bottom and increased the square footage of the house by 800 feet over six months. Cat is a talented designer, so she helped plan the home’s design and layout. 

Those are great stories. Thanks for sharing! Can you tell us how you came across Zeus and what made you decide to partner with us?

 

“We feel like we’re in really great hands with Zeus.”

 

Tommy: After renovating the home, we had to decide if we’d self-manage it or partner with a property manager. During this time, we stumbled across Zeus Living online. We were curious about the company, so we submitted our home and received a call back within 24 hours. The team came out to see the property and thought it was a good fit—it’s been an easy lift ever since. 

Cat: We feel like we’re in great hands with Zeus. We’ve had such a great experience with Zeus that we moved our Georgetown property under their management too.

That’s wonderful! Are there any benefits from partnering with Zeus that you haven’t been able to find anywhere else?

Tommy: I think the quality of tenants is a benefit. Many of them are reliable professionals who treat the property well. 

Cat: We own another property not managed by Zeus due to HOA restrictions, and we have much more trouble managing tenants there. 

What do you think about the Zeus owner dashboard? Is it something you use often? 

Tommy: We enjoy using the Zeus owner dashboard. (Laughing) We both have it bookmarked on our computers. I like it because it not only shows your earnings but the amount of maintenance completed and any issues that have come up at the house. For example, when the water tank needed fixing, Zeus took care of it—and that was great to see. 

You shared that you both spent time overseas. What was your experience living internationally while Zeus managed your home in the States?

 

“We don’t want to miss out on any property investments because of our location, and having a partner like Zeus allows us to safely and confidently play the game of real estate from anywhere in the world.”

 

Tommy: It was an ideal experience. Zeus managed the properties with little contact needed from us. Cat and I have had properties where we had to manage people, and we’re not interested in that. Zeus takes the headache out of it all and keeps it on cruise control for us. 

Cat: Tommy and I believe in real estate as a great form of investment, and the Washington, D.C. area has been great for us. We don’t want to miss out on any property investments because of our location, and having a partner like Zeus allows us to safely and confidently play the game of real estate from anywhere in the world. We really lucked out with Zeus. 

What do you appreciate the most about real estate investing?

Cat: Investing gives you another opportunity to be flexible in your life. It’s an asset—you can sell, refinance, or get a cash-out. There are different avenues you can choose, which is pretty cool. 

Do you have advice for people interested in real estate investing?

Tommy: The market is ever-changing, so you have to be sure to manage the emotions that come with ups and downs. Investing can be stressful, but you have to do your homework, research, push through it, and have patience.

Cat: It’s a long game. A home you want to invest in may not give you an instant ROI, but if you hold on long enough, it will. It may not be for another five to ten years, but it’s just a matter of time. 

Thank you, Tommy and Cat.

Renting out a home looks different for everyone. And for the Cullinans, it’s about owning from afar, watching assets build over time, and providing a home for tenants who will care as much as they do. Visit our website to explore our services and learn how you can partner with us.