Would opening up HELOCs on all my properties a bad idea?

[Alvin Uy]

Still quite new to BP and loving all the new strategies I'm coming across.  I recently heard a BP podcast that is good idea to open HELOCs on properties now while value is up.  So, I need some input from seasoned investors who've leveraged equity through HELOCs... or lenders that can help guide me in the right direction.  

I currently own 5 properties in Los Angeles that have built a lot of equity the last few years. 4 of them are rental properties that are all cash flowing. All currently have LTVs ranging from 16%-50%. I calculated atleast $2.8-$3M in built up equity. So my original strategy was to pull HELOCs on ALL my properties.. and leveraging the equity (HELOC funds) to buy more properties to rehab and refinance and hold as rentals... (and also flip a few properties).

So I started doing that... I found a local bank (EastWest Bank) that was able to give me a $300K HELOC on one of my rentals.... and I found another bank that recently let me pull off a $600K HELOC on my primary home. However, I was told I was at 48% DTI with my current income.... and I was also told by a broker that I may not qualify for conventional loans any more because of my DTI... even though I make a 6-fig salary and FICO above 780. I knew I was going to run into this issue at some point I just didn't expect it so soon.

So now this is where I have some concerns...

- Is it a BAD strategy to pull HELOCs on the rest of the remaining properties???  

- Would opened HELOCs with unused/zero balance affect my DTI ratio? I'm getting a lot of mixed answers on this.

- Would the DTI still affect my ability to refinance a purchased property (via HELOC funds) after its been repaired/rented?

I keep going back and forth about if I should open another HELOC. Im worried opening all HELOCs will just make it worse for me once I'm at a point where I need to refinance a newly purchased property after rehab/repair/rented has been completed. I would love to hear thoughts from those that have some experience in this matter. Thanks in advance.