i really curious how professional contractor able to enhance the landscape so the house can be sold way higher than without landscaping....

Now, I can't pick for you, but consider what suits your budget and lifestyle better.

When I started I scaled back my lifestyle, sold stuff, and got debt free to fund my first rehab. 

Or changes in lifestyle? 

I've found a resource that brilliantly addresses these issues, offering extensive information for investors seeking to enhance their understanding in this field.

The first will require you to have another form of cash flow to sustain your lifestyle and future investing, commonly being a W2/1099 job.

Im seeking some advice to motivate myself into making the jump into the investing lifestyle.  

It would only make sense to me if it’s a lifestyle decision and, even in that case, you could most likely find a much better deal.

Beware that 1) some lenders might not lend in Tulum because they deem it too risky given the oversupply situation and 2) other lenders won't lend if the purchase price is below $750k because you can't get title insurance in Tulum specifically.Finally, beware also that there's a huge difference between a lifestyle purchase and a (profitable) investment purchase, the latter being all about numbers.

I would not pay above appraised value for an investment property unless I knew it had some competitive edge that would increase its value considerably (ie. it was a subdividable lot or allowed for other uses that enhanced value that were taken into consideration).