I'm just trying to pick as wisely as possible so that whatever potential economic issues are ahead, I can at least be somewhere with some resistance to it if possible. 

Just can’t resist… the term “going postal” comes to mind.

Resist the slick talking scam artists that claim to "have the secret", or "will give you the information that no one wants to share", or "have a proven formula", etc.

I am curious why there is so much resistance to taking these steps?

They are resistant to scratches, heat, and stains, making them an ideal choice for rental properties.

LVP (Luxury Vinyl Planks) is waterproof and easier to replace vs laminate which has a substrate that is not water resistant and would not be applicable in wet areas. 

Builders will sometimes push back as they don't want you to see your profit margin but the easy way to circumvent the resistance is to explain you will need lien wavers for each subcontractor in order to release the construction funds so you are going to see what each sub is making anyway.

On other hand, the usual recession-resistant asset classes like self storage, etc are almost universally fine.

We, of course, perform market analyses to ensure that we are not pushing the boundaries too far, and so far, we haven't encountered much resistance.

You have been excellent tenants and I have resisted raising rent because of that.