@Jordan Giha review the Trulia Crime maps for the Bridgeport address and make sure the area is clear of incidents for the last 6 months.That should keep you out of the war zones. 

With all the development going on in Atlanta, there are still certain pockets of the city the have numerous vacant homes. 

and 2) would waiting for the tariff war to abate and for demand to slow affect pricing, or are these typically ratcheted up with no hope of correcting substantially?

i see two options here 1) you can go back to dad and break it down as hey i cant close on the house until it's vacant and see if he can help in getting them out, 2) offer some moving expense if the lot is really that desirable to you I know not what you want to hear as the investor but it has worked on numerous occasions, 3) you will have to take it to the courts as final resolution so the sheriff can remove them.

They met with numerous others including PM companies.

I'm very hesitant to get rid of the house for numerous reasons that I stated in my last reply but also that rate. 

Usually that rate of cashflow requires renting in a "war zone" type neighborhood that most people would shy away from.

I have been analyzing deals and see numerous examples where it does not make since to move forward on purchases, but somehow people are still making excessive offers.

My banker knows the guys and knows that he has received numerous offers over the last few years to buy the building.

A trade war was probably the worst thing to do at this point.Foreign investment in the US is dropping like a brick.