I've been contemplating similar moves recently. My home value has skyrocketed since all this gentrification which leave me a considerable amount of equity. I've been looking around or toying with the idea of using the equity to buy a couple places further out. Congratulations on your success.
If you have the income to service the properties while they are untenanted then it's well worth it. Alternatively, you could use the equity to invest in the stock market, or a mixture of the two.