A buddy of mine took even longer as his plans triggered an Environmental Impact Study.   

Are there people who share an environmental passion & approach on this forum. 

More and more people see Tulum as an environmental disaster.Most Mexicans and the majority of foreigners I've talked to definitely don't want another Tulum so be careful what you wish for.

I will definitely weigh things regarding the environmental risks and the insurance costs.

I would then want to know if there are any access easements to the rail line or restrictive covenants on the property which would negatively impact my ability to develop the land.Lastly, my concern would be environmental.

Maybe bankruptcy, maybe slow courts or laws over Covid, maybe owner missed a payment and started paying again, but one payment behind, maybe trying to do a workout, maybe some environmental hazard with the property that they want to take ownership of it.So that would be the first step....find out who owns it.....individual or LLC or now in lender name.   

I know to look for areas that are landlord friendly, have population/job growth, limited seasonal/environmental issues, high rent/price ratio, and areas within my budget (under $200Kish).

Also check to see if the property is in a flood zone and whether there are any environmental contaminants.

If often more that they are abandanoning the property to the government because there is some type of constraint, i.e. there is a street light oddly placed in the middle front part of the parcel, there is a creek or wash (which means environmental permits would be needed), there is lack of true legal access, zoning problems, etc. 

You really want to make sure that the land you are buying doesn't have any major constraints that can't be overcome, or even if they can be remediated, at what cost, i.e. environmental, soils/geotechnical, adequate access, zoning, etc.