My accountant recommended getting a bookkeeper at least to help a bit this year as I’m acquiring more properties.

I am in the middle of an introductory class to bookkeeping and highly considering taking the full class to become a professional bookkeeper.

With 5 units you would basically doing the bookkeeping of a 25 unit apartment.

I don't make much a month except the cash flow from my properties, so I pay a bookkeeper, and I have other bills to pay.

One of the benefit using a property management is they do the book keeping for you. 

And many of them can be pretty passive if set up right....not really different than hiring the right PM and bookkeeper.  

Payroll, bookkeeping, etc can mostly be done remotely.Here is a great list of questions to ask a potential accountant:http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/51/topics/70447-questions-to-ask-a-cpaAlso check out the www.NAEA.org page in your search.

Use portfolio to gain financial independence with cashflow.Keep process as hands-off as possible with property managers managing homes and a CPA and bookkeeper managing taxes.Consider apartment investing and fix & flips in the future.Here is what I am looking for with homes 5-10:Grow in my current markets with my current teams.Explore a couple of more markets (I'd like to get into Orlando).

My "day job" for the last 18 years has been as a bookkeeper and business consultant. 

If the owner isn't willing to provide a P&L either he's hiding something (from you, the IRS, who knows) or his bookkeeping is such a mess that he has no P&L.