Premium RE, high COC return like a luxury STR or small balance multi family could be a good partial anchor. 

Something that @Don Konipol recently pointed out in another thread of mine is that successful real estate investors from all walks of life really do seem to share a unified trait: THEY LOVE REAL ESTATE.They're obsessed by it.

@Michael KattouahOne of the few things that I've learned in college that has actually stuck with me is that life is an income statement game, not a balance sheet game.I'll pay you $100,000,000 for a $300,000 house if you let me pay you $1,000 a month for the next 8,334 years.

For example: If your credit limit is $500, you want to carry a balance of $45.00.With this $45 balance would you never pay it off?

Sellers are still nuts.Just technically speaking... around 6 months inventory is considered a balanced market, less than 6 months is a sellers market and more than 6 is a buyers market. 

I can see this principal applying more broadly to AP subject you are raising, but also as the STR legal landscape develops (and the end game there seems to be eventually heading towards a more unified policy and even constitutional argument in front of the Supreme Court, in my opinion) - this may apply very readily to a sound legal strategy for STR protection? 

Additionally, I'd appreciate any tips on balancing cost-effectiveness with durability.

Deals are about balancing the Risk and Reward for investors.

The podcast you mention is referencing (i) Freddie Mac Small Balance Loans ("SBL"), and (ii) Fannie Mae Small Loans, which are essentially government-backed CMBS loans. 

You can’t really do a cash out refi because that would reset the entire loan balance around 7%.