Starting with an owner-occupied multifamily is a great strategy—house hacking can really help you build equity while keeping your living costs low.

1. close my last new build for the year. 

Building codes change and labor and materials go up.

My wife and I have loved real estate for a long time and invested in other areas, but are focused on building our portfolio in Kansas City.

They build on site.One thing you mention is construction costs. 

I tried to post my email here, and it told me I can't (only in the marketplace) and made me rewrite this twice.I take client reviews and comments very seriously, and have a lot of pride in what we're building here at TrueBooks.

Who said you need to build all 6 cabins at once?

A buddy has a 5 unit building he needs to sell at 475k.

Assuming the Oakland rental market continues to remain stagnant/competitive with newer buildings going up, is property appreciation the only way to increasing wealth with my building?

Its also a good idea to build relationships with realtors, contractors, insurance agents, real estate attorneys, and property managers in your area so take advantage of events, conferences, and meetups.