Termites, Dry Rot, And Real Value

Selling a home and dreading a tent over the roof? Jay Moceri of Value Termite & Construction joins us to unpack what really solves termite problems, how to spot dry rot before it spreads, and why localized treatments with real warranties can protect your house without wrecking your week or your budget. With 25 years in construction and wood remediation, Jay explains how to distinguish active infestations from old evidence, fix moisture sources first, and decide when fumigation is necessary versus when targeted treatments do the job.

We dig into practical prevention: painting and sealing to keep water out, catching roof leaks early, and choosing the right wood repairs to restore strength without overspending. Jay breaks down the hidden costs of tenting—from tile roof risk to relocation hassles—and lays out a step-by-step approach that starts with a thorough inspection and ends with long-term protection. His value-first philosophy is simple: treat every home like it’s his own and deliver pound-for-pound quality that earns referrals, not ad clicks.

You’ll also hear Jay’s unexpected journey from running a DJ company in South Florida to becoming a trusted contractor in California, and how his personal routine—roller skating at 62, yoga, stretching, living in gratitude, and daily learning—fuels the discipline he brings to every job. If you’re facing termite reports, suspicious wood, or a looming sale, this conversation gives you a clear playbook to choose the right method, control costs, and get a reliable clearance without defaulting to the most disruptive option. 

Call: 949-584-7656 

Visit: https://www.valuetermite.com/

If you found this helpful, follow the show, share it with a neighbor, and leave a quick review—what termite or repair question should we tackle next?

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_01 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Rachel Five.

SPEAKER_02 (00:13):
Well, welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Now, if you are in need of aquality inspection, treatments
to eradicate termites as well asprevent future infestations, as
well as construction needs.
Well, we have a one-stopresource for you.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
Jay Mojani, with Value Termiteand Construction.

(00:38):
Jay, how's it going?

SPEAKER_00 (00:39):
Amazing, Rachel.
How are you doing today?

SPEAKER_02 (00:42):
I'm doing great.
I'm doing great.
Well, you know, we're reallyexcited to learn about your
business and all the servicesyou offer.
So tell us about your company.

SPEAKER_00 (00:50):
Well, yeah, I've been in construction for 25
years and all throughout thattime, uh doing remodel and other
things to homes.
And uh excuse me, uh, you know,in that that time, I've been
able to actually repair andremediate wood as well as uh

(01:10):
identify things that weredamaged by things like termites
and fungus damage, which wasbetter known as dry rot.
So I that includes even doingthings as preventative
maintenance, like paintinghouses, also identifying things
like uh roof leaks and thenremediating those so that
there's no rot there or termite.
So it's pretty widespread spreadas far as what I've had my hands

(01:34):
on over the course of 25 yearsof experience with construction
and with termite and wooddamage.

SPEAKER_02 (01:41):
Okay.
Well, you touched upon a littlebit, but how did you get into
this type of business?

SPEAKER_00 (01:45):
Uh believe it or not, uh moved to California.
I had no idea what I was gonnado.
I had a previous business inSouth Florida, um, doing DJ
work, believe it or not.
It was a company that had uh 15guys working for me there.
And uh when I moved out here, Ididn't feel like I needed to
continue that.
I wanted to get into somethingnew, always been very handy with

(02:06):
my hands, grew up in the greaterDetroit area and learned how to
use my hands for uh you knowwoodworking and things like
that.
So uh I just figured I'd get inand I started working literally
as a grunt, and within a coupleof years I had a company up and
running.
So um that's how I kind of gotinto this.

SPEAKER_02 (02:25):
Wonderful.
Well, what do you think are somemyths or misconceptions in your
industry?

SPEAKER_00 (02:30):
Uh, definitely the idea that everybody thinks that
if you sell a house, you have tofumigate it.
And uh that is not true.
I do clearances, I've donethousands of them, that uh the
home did not need to befumigated.
A lot of people don't like theidea of fumigation.
Uh, it means you got to move outof your house, you got to throw
out food or bag food or do both.

(02:53):
Uh, if you have a uh tile roof,then it can damage that and that
can get very costly.
Um, so I do a lot of localizedtreatment.
I do also do fumigation.
If the home really needsfumigation, I'll be happy to do
it.
But most people think fumigationis the only way.
It is the state's primarymethod, but I offer the primary

(03:16):
method, but uh probably morelike 80% or more.
I do localized treatment with awarranty that uh is real, which
means I can come back and treatlocal areas.
And it uh seems to be a greatway to effectively reduce your
cost and uh maintain a home sothat you're not spending a great
amount of money fumigating on aregular basis.

SPEAKER_02 (03:39):
Wonderful.
Well, we know marketing isreally the heart of every
business.
So, how are you finding youryour customers?

SPEAKER_00 (03:46):
Well, that's that uh I looked the other day on my
contacts in my phone and I have8,000.
So it's just good old grassrootstaking care of people and
actually uh making sure thatwhen I leave, I tell them
there's one thing I want from mycustomers, and that's a
referral, because I did such agreat job that you would say,

(04:08):
Yeah, hands down, this is a guyyou want to use.
So that's the way I've alwaysmarketed myself is just doing
the best work at a realreasonable cost and making sure
that they know that uh, hey, ifif I did a great job for you,
tell a friend, tell a familymember, tell somebody.
And that's always worked that myphone's never stopped ringing.
So I'm very fortunate in that.

SPEAKER_02 (04:28):
That's great.
Now I have to have you everthought of doing your own
podcast?

SPEAKER_00 (04:32):
You know, I I really haven't.
Um I'm a guy who just gets outthere and meets people and takes
care of their needs.
Uh I'm not real uh savvy and allthat, and I know that's all out
here, and people are telling meI should do more social media
and this and that, and maybe uhmaybe I should, but I know this,
I just have uh really uh enjoyedtaking care of my customers and

(04:56):
making sure they get the qualityand the value out of uh what I
do for them.

SPEAKER_02 (05:00):
That's wonderful.
Well, now outside of work, whatdo you like to do for fun?

SPEAKER_00 (05:04):
Oh my goodness, that's a great one.
Uh so I I am uh 62, and someyears back ago, I got into uh
roller skating, believe it ornot, and it's been tremendous.
It's been a great uh challengeto me.
Um, I some people will say I'mthe fastest guy at the rink at
62.
I've I've followed a nationalchampion around for three years

(05:27):
and learned from them.
So it's uh body and mind, youknow, and that and just living
in gratitude and uh, you know,doing the work at home, doing
the yoga, stretching, keeping mybody limber.
Uh, I love to read and I love tolearn and do self-development.
I just think I want to be thebest version of me I can be
every day.
And that means I gotta work onme a little bit every day in the

(05:49):
morning before I get startedwith uh taking care of my
customers and my employees andmy vendors and all that other
fun stuff.

SPEAKER_02 (05:56):
Wonderful.
Well, Jay, please tell ourlisteners one thing they should
remember about value termite andconstruction.

SPEAKER_00 (06:04):
Well, I think the name says it all.
Uh, I want to make sure you getpound for pound, dollar for
dollar, everything that youspend, that you get the greatest
value out of it, and that youfeel like you've been cared for,
and that you would know thatthis is something that you would
um be grateful that you chose touse value termite because you
know you got what was best foryour home.

(06:25):
I treat every home as if it wasmy own home, as if I was
spending my money and how Icould take my 25 years of
experience and apply it to makesure I get the the greatest
value out of everything that Ispend doing any type of work on
my home.

SPEAKER_02 (06:41):
Wonderful.
Well, how can our listenerslearn more about value termite
and construction?

SPEAKER_00 (06:46):
You know, I'm I'm old-fashioned.
Give me a call, 949-584-7656.
Call or text that, and you'regonna get a uh a response pretty
pretty quickly, usually withinminutes.
Uh sometimes if it's at the endof the day, it may not be till
the next day.
But yeah, just I'm just like Isaid, I'm pretty grassroots.

(07:07):
Let's just uh make sure andcommunicate well with customers
and take care of their needs.

SPEAKER_02 (07:12):
Wonderful.
Well, Jay, I really appreciateyou being on the show, and we
wish you and your businessreally the very best moving
forward.

SPEAKER_00 (07:20):
Well, thanks so much, Rachel, for having me
here, and uh uh I'm grateful foryou as well.

unknown (07:26):
Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 (07:28):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on the
show, go to gnpoangecounty.com.
That's gnpoangecounty.com orcall 714 941 2862.