What are my best options TODAY to get and use EQUITY out of my properties?

[Takahito Torimoto]

I feel like I have WAY too much equity sitting and doing nothing for me across my 5 LTR properties:

* Rental A: 235k (Market: 440k)

* Rental B: 140k (Market: 210k)

* Rental C: 130k (Market: 200k)

* Rental D: 75k (Market: 150k)

* Rental E: 100k (Market: 200k)

But with the current HELOC/Refinance rates - it just doesn't seem to make sense?

I also have another unique option where I could sell off portions of my equity at $50 increments with a 3% fee - but I would also proportionally lose any cash flow and appreciation - so I'm not fully convinced that's a good option - although I understand I can try to use the equity sold to get higher returns, but I'd need to at minimum, cover the cash flow returns I've lost through the sale. (https://learn.lofty.ai/en/articles/7025226-sell-equity-in-yo...)

I understand I can also sell and do a 1031 - I've successfully done that once, and failed a second time (could not win an offer and ran out of time - had to pay a ton of capital gains tax).  I know I could have gone into 1031 syndications, but 1. those don't seem to have as good returns as I'd want, and 2. I'd like to have better control, so that I can get better returns.

What are my options? Extracting out equity to re-use them to get more/better returns seems like a BASIC strategy I should be doing, but I feel like I don't have any good options now with the current interest rates?

FYI my goal is to always increase cash flow. Appreciation is "bonus". All this equity sitting seems wasteful and looking for suggestions. Thanks in advance.

[Rick Pozos]

You can not be 100% efficient 100% of the time. If you are making some cash flow on the properties the way they are, keep going with it. Dont mess up something good. Real estate is supposed to be the little extra that you end up retiring with.

It's kinda like the 401k. Let it grow, let it grow. After a bunch of years, start to sell it off if you want to live off of the houses. They will probably have doubled again when you are ready to retire.

If you need cash, sell off one property that is doing the worst or the most headache. OR try the 1031 again. This time with more preparation.