Getting financing after 4 mortgages

[Chris M.]

I have a mortgage on my primary home, and 3 other mortgaged rental properties (making that 4). I have two other rental properties that I bought in cash. One I was able to get a HELOC on. The other, I tried to get a HELOC on and was denied because the bank said my DTI was too high. I asked the bank how they calculated it, and they are adding all the mortgage payments and HELOC to the debt side (even though all properties are cash flowing). In other posts, I've read that the bank should be using just my home mortgage on the debt side divided by net income. Is this because I've had the properties for less than 2 years?

Any ideas for how I can finance another purchase? I have equity and cash flow, and a decent paying job but the banks just don't seem to have any sense to them. I have no rich uncle to ask for private financing so I feel stuck because I can't think of any way to get financing even though I have enough for a down payment and carrying the debt.