Advice Needed Please

[Ian Russell]

I had previously posted about needing some advice on my multi family properties and got a lot of good feedback.  I had a few people mention that I am not using the equity in one of my rental to my advantage and wanted to get some tips on what to do here.  I think I may have made a mistake by using my own money on purchasing two triplexes this month when I could have possibly done a heloc loan and used that money to purchase these units.      

Here is the back story. I bought a town home in San Jose California for 388,000 in 2012. It has appreciated to around 840,000. My mortgage including taxes and insurance is a little below 2000 per month. I have it rented for 3200 so a profit of about 1200 per month. I just bought two triplexes in Washington state for 230,000 each and each unit is fully occupied at 800 per door. So 2400 is coming in on each triplex per month. After talking with someone this is where I believe I should have done something else. I am putting 25% down on each triplex which is coming from my own money. Basically I am writing a check for about 125,000 for both of them. My friend was telling me that I should have leveraged equity from my house in San Jose and used that money in the form of a HELOC to buy the triplexes? Was this what I should have done? Is it to late to do this? Any other ideas? I don't want to sell my house in San Jose as I might move back there someday and it has a 3% interest rate. Would love to here so advice.

thanks

Ian