You have to put yourself in someone elses shoes, would you give someone who has not done something $ to do it?

However if I was in your shoes I would get a sfh instead. 

This would allow you to pay yourself back on the HELOC from the generated income allowing you to increase the values of the current homes without putting your personal assets/liquid cash at risk.I hope this helps and that's 100% the route I would take if I were in your shoes.

You're not alone in feeling like you're stuck in the Bay Area, there are dozens of other investors in your same shoes and they've found Sacramento to be a great semi-local option due to the reasons mentioned in my posts above. 

And it's an excuse to dress up and wear nice shoes!

Wayne Brooks, I do appreciate your comment, but in all honesty, I am not over reacting and I doubt you would feel you were overreacting if you were in my shoes for a minute.Too many times we see stereotypes that rule highly qualified people out of things, and it is comments such as, “you are probably overreacting” that saddens me as it forces those being discriminated against to withdraw and feel that they have no voice.Thank you Jon Holdman, Linda Weygant and Mike Reynolds too for your input.

What would you do in my shoes?

@Gustavo Munoz Castro but how much faith do you have left in the dollar...I feel like we are in 1928...waiting for the shoe to drop.

I have been in similar shoes to yours and wish someone told me to follow my passions.

I was in your shoes a little over a year ago and I can confidently say yes that is too much money.