Paul Barraza has been a property inspector since 2007, and started after attending ITA (Inspection Training Associates). While completing the course, he caught the attention of instructor John McComas, which served as a spring board to start an apprenticeship under one of the most well respected home inspectors in the Bay Area. Paul bought JMC Building Inspections from John McComas in January of 2015.
Paul left California to attend Oregon State University, where he earned a degree in Forestry. It was there that he discovered his love of rock climbing and began his frequent weekend trips to Smith Rock. After graduation, Paul began working for Hornblower Cruises between climbing trips. Eventually, he gained enough experience and earned his 100-ton inland captain’s license.
Eventually, his passion for climbing culminated in a two and a half year road trip around North America in his trusty (and rusty) Volkswagen Westfalia. After the road trip Paul was hired at Berkeley Ironworks, where he eventually worked his way up to General Manager – overseeing one of the largest climbing and fitness facilities in the U.S (at the time). Over the years he has climbed many test pieces, including 5.13 sport routes, v13 boulder problems, and even the 3000′ tall El Capitan in Yosemite.
Paul grew up in Kensington, CA and was an active member of Troop 100, eventually earning the Eagle Scout Award. He currently lives with his wife and son in a 1916 Craftsman in Berkeley, and when he is not inspecting or rock climbing, he can be found working on his “fixer-upper.” In 2021, he completed an electrification project to make his house “net zero” – meaning that it makes more energy that it uses.
Qualifications:
- ASHI Certified Inspector (#249126)
- Master CREIA Inspector – Level 2 (#155005)
- ICC Certified California Residential Combination Inspector (Plumbing, Mechanical, Electrical, & Building)
- NADRA certified Master Deck Professional
- Certified Oakland Soft Story Evaluator
- President, Golden Gate Chapter of ASHI
- Over 2,000 inspections performed
Lee Parsons began his career as a home inspector in 2013. He is a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and of Golden Gate ASHI (GGASHI), for which he is currently serving as the Education Committee Co-Chair. After attending the ASHI School and passing the National Home Inspection Examination, Lee went to work for a large national company, performing inspections throughout the Bay Area. But when Paul Barraza asked him to join JMC, it was an easy decision to go with a local company that values quality and thoroughness.
Lee grew up in Southern California and was drawn north to attend UC Santa Cruz, where he studied literature and architectural history. After graduation, he moved to San Francisco and worked in various jobs– in a wood shop building furniture; in bookstores; and on house painting crews– before returning to school to pursue a graduate degree in English at the University of Washington. After graduate school, he returned to the Bay Area and worked in university student services, first at Golden Gate University and then at UC Berkeley.
Lee and his wife, painter Ginny Parsons, live in Alameda where they own a 1912 California bungalow (or it owns them), and where they have raised two children (the oldest is now attending UC Santa Cruz). When not inspecting homes or working on his own, Lee will be found racing sailboats on the Bay or cycling on the roads throughout the Bay Area.
Qualifications:
- ASHI Certified Inspector (#252867)
- Home Energy Score Registered Assessor #CA-SWST-0052
- Treasurer, Golden Gate Chapter of ASHI
Jeff Spellman’s journey in to home inspection began in 2020. After graduating from American Home Inspectors Training (AHIT), and passing the National Home Inspectors Exam, Jeff had the unique opportunity to shadow some of the most experienced inspectors in the Bay Area. Not long after, he joined the crack-team at JMC Inspections, where knowledge and professionalism are paramount. He is a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) as well as the local chapter Golden Gate ASHI (GGASHI).
Born and raised in Berkeley, California surrounded by 100+ year-old houses, Jeff’s appreciation for the preservation and care that go into a home began at an early age. He graduated from Berkeley High, where he excelled both academically and athletically, as a perennial honor student and the varsity quarterback. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in Communications from San Diego State, Jeff moved back to the Bay Area where he eventually settled in North Oakland. He attributes his successes to his tight-knit family which emphasized love, respect, hard work as well as a deep appreciation for his Greek heritage.
In his free time, you will find Jeff enjoying some of the great cuisines the Bay Area has to offer, supporting various Bay Area sports teams or relaxing in sweatpants with his wife and 2 cats.
Qualifications:
- ASHI Inspector (#268677)
- Graduate, AHIT (American Home Inspectors Training)
- Member, Golden Gate Chapter of ASHI
Seana Camping, Our Receptionist
If you are looking for fast, friendly, and professional service, give us a call! Customer service skills comes naturally, having helped out at her family’s bakery in Berkeley as soon as she could reach the counters. She also attended City College of San Francisco and Gupton Jones in Decatur, GA.
Seana has lived all over the Bay Area, including Berkeley, Kensington, Oakland and Richmond; and also made her home in Bernal Heights in San Francisco for a time, thus becoming the fifth generation of her family to live in SF. She participated in a complete remodel of her SF house, and understands both the headaches and rewards of older houses. She traveled and moved around a lot in her 20s, living in Boston, Massachusetts, Phoenix, Arizona, and Willits, CA (where she lived “off the grid”, and refined her passions for country living and alternative lifestyles). Thailand and London were also memorable, and she hopes to continue her travels in the future.
In Seana’s free time she enjoys photography, yoga, historical cemeteries, vegetarian cooking, rock hounding, and, she can fold a fitted sheet. She began homeschooling her son in 2020, and while it’s rewarding, she does hope to have him back in public school soon. She and her son live in a ranch-style house built in 1988, and although they love their neighborhood, they do hope to one day have a house built before 1900. They have two cats, Merokok and Blazer, and look forward to living with a dog companion soon.
