I've Hit the Wall (Looking for Insight on Next Moves)

[David Johnson]

I'm a relatively new real estate investor (under 5 years) and own two single family homes in the Washington, DC area. I'm currently looking for next steps to grow my portfolio, but my inexperience is limiting my vision. I feel like there are probably basic things I can do to move forward, but I'm ignorant of what they could be.

A little about my current situation:

Both properties I own are currently rented to section 8 tenants and have a combined cash flow of $1764 a month. Each property was acquired at approximately $250K and $270K, respectively, and they have experienced a substantial amount of appreciation over the last 4 years or so due to major development in the neighborhood. One was recently appraised at $400K, although I feel like they could both sell for at least $450K. Long story short, I have a pretty good amount of equity in both properties, since the outstanding loans on each of them stand at about $185K and $210K, respectively. 

I also have about $250K in stocks that I could liquidate, but the catch is that I'm unable to get financing because my debt to income ratio is too high. 

So, what can I do? I feel like my ability to maneuver is limited because of the financing issue, but I also feel like I should be aggressive and pursue more opportunities. Let me know what you think.