Also, for flips, I like to reserve an additional 15-20% in contingency for unforeseen conditions or changes. 

And keeps you out of any trouble with debt.

It never hurts to have an additional set of eyes to look after your property.

Additionally, consider operational costs like cleaning, staffing, and marketing, as they can quickly add up.For management, outsourcing to a professional property manager or leveraging tech platforms for bookings and operations could streamline things, especially if you plan to scale.

Here are a few ideas to explore that might help you get closer to homeownership in San Diego without selling:Cash-Out Refinance:Refinancing one or both of your El Centro properties could free up additional cash for a down payment without selling.

The cons as i see it include loosing the 2 of 5 year cap gain exception, typically not an ideal rental because the emphasis at purchase was buying a good home for your family and not a rental with optimal return (my ex-home consistently has the lowest cash flow for equity in my RE portfolio), not disconnected enough from the property causes addition angst on damage and may result in over improvement.  

Additionally, there’s always a risk that any pet-related damages could be hidden under furniture or otherwise concealed, potentially leaving us to cover the costs if the security deposit is fully depleted by other expenses (e.g., damages or unpaid rent).

Yes  I think the best move here is to asses your total monthly debt and see if a cash out refi will help decrease the total interest and monthly debt obligation.

Additionally I would add a benefit for you is that you're in great area to be able to invest locally and can invest in your own back yard as they say.

Formulate additional equity/LP relationships6.