The downside of all cash is that it makes it more difficult to accumulate wealth in a instant gratification kind of way that we are all used to.

So I'm currently living abroad doing volunteer work, and when I get back stateside in a year and change, have plans to start investing in real estate, mostly house-hacking and transitioning into accumulating MFHs. 

I had way more than I ever had before but I also lost way more than I ever had.For me personally this time around its not only assets but cash accumulation.

For that matter, I don't have any trouble making use of rooms, storage and more storage.I agree Charles, the more space I have the more I allow to accumulate.

Should I continue to put more money into my current home than required, or should I do something else with this extra cash in order to allow it to accumulate and enable me to put money down on a second property?

It is turning from a investment to a liability based on the accumulation of dead equity.

Buy the 4 houses mentioned above for $2,960,000 maximum.Put $950,000, plus any extra savings I have accumulated after buying all the properties, in my bank’s CD where I cannot touch it for 5 years (or I will get a BIG fee) and it will grow interest, but I will still be able to make deposits into it.Hold these 4 leasebacks and collect the $249,000 leaseback payments until one goes on the market, then sell that one.

Buy the 4 houses mentioned above for $2,960,000 maximum.Put $950,000, plus any extra savings I have accumulated after buying all the properties, in my bank’s CD where I cannot touch it for 5 years (or I will get a BIG fee) and it will grow interest, but I will still be able to make deposits into it.Hold these 4 leasebacks and collect the $249,000 leaseback payments until one goes on the market, then sell that one.

Do you mean that the trust is an entity that can accumulate income, is taxed as separate entity and any "distribution" is taxed again at the beneficiary level? 

Steven,Our goal is to accumulate 5-6 properties over the next 10-15 years, get them paid off so that they will generate some good cash flow to supplement retirement income and even allow for earlier semi-retirement ; over the long-term, possibly build a small company that our kids could take over and expand later.For us it is too late to build anything BIG - FAST; but for them, it might not be - especially if they will take over the little we could build over the next 10-20 years.