The Long Distance Real Estate Investing book by Bigger Pockets is gold!

Thanks for the advice, I have read some books but not that one.

Transcribing transactions from bank statements, posting transactions to the correct accounts, and then manually creating an income statement, statement of owner's equity and a balance sheet is a fairly time consuming process and I have not been able to keep up with the book keeping between my regular work responsibilities.What accounting software do people recommend? 

Start by educating yourself with foundational books like The Millionaire Real Estate Investor and practicing deal analysis using tools like BiggerPockets calculators.

We were paying a bookkeeper $450/month, plus the $90 QB subscription to do our books but I felt like we were still having to tell her how to categorize everything so it just didn't feel like we were getting our money's worth.

WordPress, especially when paired with plugins like WP Rentals or a property management system, offers more flexibility for custom features like dynamic calendars, booking systems, and integrations with platforms like Airbnb.If you're planning to grow beyond a few properties, WordPress can handle that expansion better since you can continuously customize it as your business needs change.

I started listening to the podcast and reading real estate books about two months ago, and I’m excited to take my first step into real estate investing.I’m currently in Spokane, WA, and I’m pre-approved for a loan.

Overall the best way to start learning is listening to podcasts and reading books.

Less bank accounts results in less check books, less debit card numbers, less account numbers that you have to track.best of luck.

She read 2 books, "Retire with Real Estate" and "Set for Life".