tonight on "nightline," how not to sell. this might be the most dpiflt house to sell in america. is it the price? is it the door? or is it the staircase? >> i just don't think he cared what people think. >> a real estate guru on how to boost your chances of making a profit. and real housewives confidential. everything was glam and gorgeous for this controversial real housewife of new jersey. the money, the fame -- >> i'm the queen. >> until she and her husband were accused of fraud. tonight, she defends herself in what could be her biggest battle ever. >> what's the hardest part? >> my kids going through this every day. ♪ say something i'm giving up on you ♪ >> are you sure, you want me to change it? >> plus, say something.

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good evening. and thanks for joining us. you're about to go inside one of the ugliest houses in the country. at least from a real sale perspective. on the market for a staggering amount of money, it may stay there until someone just as eccentric as its original owner comes along. so with the housing market in an uptick, how do you make sure your own home doesn't become unsellable? here's rebecca jarvis with tonight's reality check. >> staircase railings that seem more than a little out of place.

a bedroom that would make a caveman claustrophobic. and of course, all those lions. welcome to the million dollar mansion that might just be america's most unsellable house. >> so this is the kessler estate. >> it's 10 degrees below zero and there's a bunch of dolphins out front and they're covered in snow. >> meet ryan sander, listing agent on this sprawling mansion. consider this a cautionary tale in the new hot real estate market. >> basically we've got five structures. we' got the main house. we've got the guest house. we gooe've got the pool house, ballroom conference center an an apartment that also houses additional guests. >> reporter: sanders know there are cardinal rules. first and foremost, you never want your home to be the most expensive one on the block. that's just the first of many rules being shattered here at the kessler compound in

indianapolis. the asking price? >> we realtors like to say $1,295,000, which really is $1.3 million. >> rounding snup. >> ma>> making it the costliest house in the entire zip code. >> the average house is $150,000. >> this is about ten times. >> from the bedrooms. >> this is a room almost entirely of stone. i feel like we're in the cave. this room would be like the party place down here. >> this room is good for a cocktail, a hand of black jack, then it's time to get into the hot tub. >> and the formal dining room. >> we've taken a trip to the orient. as you see, the formal dining room has a hint of asian influence. with a hint of circus mirrors. >>. >> reporter: there's really no

playing footsies under the table here. i'm blown away. this is definitely the most original house i've seen with the housing market making a serious recovery, more and more americans are looking to sell. so to guide us through the do's and don'ts, we went to an expert from bravo's million dollar listing. >> this is, as we like to say in real estate, unique. or one of a kind. this is definitely one of a kind. wow. this is like a dungeon room with beds in it. at a 1 to 10, this is probably one of the worst houses i've ever seen. >> he's used to selling red hot luxury properties like this $5.5 million pad in the hollywood hills. >> check out this view. this view in itself is worth $2 million. >> reporter: but he says any house can fall victim into overly specific design details. and that can spell doom when it comes time to resell. >> i see mistakes made in houses built all day long.

>> as much as he tried, josh couldn't sell this house in bel air, shaped strangely like a boat. >> not only is it shaped as a ship, but it probably needs about $1348 worth of upgrades. it looks like the freaking love boat in here. this thing is straight out of the '80s. this is a tough sell, man. you talk about a unique buyer. how many people do you know are looking for a sihip? >> the more specific your house is, the more difficult to sell your house. >> everything is wrong with this indiana house. >> reporter: anna spends her day poring over real estate listings, looking for the standouts. >> what's hideous about this one? >> it's got a rotunda with pink metallic hues. >> oh, wow. this is the las vegas one. >> it's sort of as if you wouldn't need to leave your own home in order to get the vibe you would at the, you know, the venetian. >> just put a roulette wheel right there. >> right behind the bar, i think.

>> reporter: back at our baffling indianapolis mega mansion -- i love that there's railings all around this, but there's no railings going up the stairs. >> great lites coming through on the place. >> reporter: even the rlisting agent is confused by some of the rooms. >> here you have your side room. your salon. >> i'm not real sure what that room is used for. >> reporter: how many rooms do you think you' said i'll not really sure what that room is used for in this house? >> i think it just depends on the individual person and what they want to use the room for. >> reporter: this isn't available anywhere else. this is the only place where you can get this. so i have to imagine that whoever is going to come here and buy this is a little bit eccentric, has some money and wants to live in indianapolis. and you have to put all of those things together in order to make it work. but this was all part of a 20-year construction project taken on by the estate's original owner.

a convicted pimp turned construction magnate. what do you think he was going for? do you think he had a vision of what all of this collectively would be? >> i just don't think he cared what people think. >> reporter: in fact, this house is so ugly. oh, look, i'm in a fish tank. it's become a local legend. >> do you pass the kessler estate on the way to work? >> at times. yes. it's incredible. >> reporter: if you're rich enough to build a mansion like this -- oh, cool. maybe you're not too worried about resale value. imagine you just bought this house. >> but for the rest of us -- >> for most of the people in this country, their house is their biggest investment in their life. you want to make sure that investment is going to make you money when you sell that house. >> reporter: rule number one -- keep it simple. >> you've got to keep a house one particular style. if you're going modern, stick to it the whole way through the house. >> rule number two, landscaping is key. >> you've got to work on the

curb appeal. the first thing you see is rock frontage of extra rocks all over the land. it's horrible. >> reporter: rule number three -- don't make it personal. >> make it as unspecific as possible. neutral color, take out all the personal stuff throughout the house except the house in general is personal. so at that point, i don't know, maybe take a bulldozer to it. >> reporter: this isn't going to be easy to sell. >> well, i think there's challenges for sure. >> reporter: challenges. that's putting it lightly. >> well, i think as a realtor, though, you know, do you always want the easily necessarily sale? or do you want to maybe work a little harder and have the challenges of something like this. >> are you ready for indianapolis million dollar listing? >> i think i could hand the ill for sure. >> reporter: i'm rebecca jarvis from indianapolis.

>> see josh's tickets on abc.com/lig abc.com/nightline. up next, we're with theresa gudice. ♪ [ male announcer ] your heart. it powers your body to walk enough stairs in a lifetime to climb the empire state building. and then climb it again 1,000 times. your heart is amazing. take care of it with centrum silver. multivitamins with b vitamins and lycopene to help support your heart and packed with key nutrients to help support your eyes and brain, too. centrum silver. for the most amazing parts of you. ♪ ♪

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>> teresa giudice seemed to have hit the reality show jackpot. the glamorous parties, flashy home. but was it all good to be true? we saw the real housewife of new jersey like she's never been seen before. abc's amy robach got a look behind the curtain at a reality that's not quite as pretty. >> you're both white trash, quite frankly. >> in the ams of bravo's real housewives history -- >> you are a liar and alcoholic. >> for a series known for its over the top theatrics, there's perhaps no housewife as recognized or as controversial as new jersey's teresa giudice. a woman as famous for her

excess -- >> 19 times! >> as she is for her legendary cat fights. a. >> is the teresa sitting here the same teresa we saw on tv? >> i'm very low key. >> you don't normally flip over seasons? >> i'm italian. i'm very passionate when i believe in something. do i regret doing that now? >> that wasn't real, that wasn't for the cameras? >> that was real. >> what else appeared to be real teresa and husband joe giudice's luxurious lifestyle on the show. including their new jersey mansion. >> my house is pretty much all mar bell, granite, onyx. >> but federal prosecutors now say that life was all smoke and mirrors. teresa and joe have each been indicted on 36 counts of fraud. prosecutors say they submitted false and fraudulent mortgage

and loan applications and intentionally concealed and failed to disclose bank accounts and other income in a 2009 bankruptcy case. they defrauded banks out of $5 million. joe has been indicted for not filing taxes from 2004 to 2008. they both pleaded not guilty. >> was there any pressure when you're on show to have a bigger house and fancier things and really show case wealth? >> any pressure? no. i mean, i don't feel like it. and i don't try to keep up with the joness. >>. >> reporter: the prosecutors say there's a pattern that goes back to 2001 of misrepresenting how much you were making, in order to get loans. then misrepresenting how little you were making filing for taxes and bankruptcy. what did you know about any of that? >> i would love to answer all of your questions and one day i will, you out of the respect of the process i'm going to let, you know, the legal matters play out in court.

>> reporter: teresa and joe's legal teams have requested separate trials. in court documents, joe said teresa had no involvement or knowledge of any alleged criminal activity. he will testify on her behalf if they're granted separate trials. >> what's the hardest part? >> my kids going through this every day. >> reporter: teresa has four daughters, gia, gabriella, and abriana. how do you do it? >> i'm a role model for them. i can't just be upset and crawl up in a ball and just go in a room and lock the door. >> reporter: when the door is shut and they are in bed, do you get to do that? >> yes. i would be lying to say i didn't. >> reporter: joe who was born in italy is not a u.s. citizen and could face deportation if convicted. have you two talked about what that might mean for your family?

>> i've been married to joe for 14 years. he's been here his whole life. i guess that's something his attorney will deal with. >> reporter: teresa is moving ahead and filming season six of the real house wooifs. >> do you want me to do anything? >> can i have the cheese? >> reporter: it must be tougher to deal with the legal issues and then film this season. >> i'm doing the best i can. i can't answer any legal questions while i'm filming. and i have to say, everybody's been very respectful of that. >> there was a time when i seemed teresa's biggest problem was keeping the peace with her co-stars. her brother and his wife melissa. >> stop hurting us. >> be a man, stick with your blood. >> i'm not sticking with scum like you. >> reporter: how has your relationship with your brother and melissa? >> oh, everything is good. yeah, everything is good. at the end of the day, you know, you're -- you can't pick your family. your family is your family. so you need to bury the hatchet and just move on.

>> [ bleep ]. >> not me . >> reporter: her sister-in-law wasn't the only housewife teresa clashed with. >> reporter: the show has portrayed you at times as villain. >> i don't feel like they have portrayed me as a villain. if that's how the viewers stake it, there's nothing i can do about that. i mean, i -- you know, i tried to put my best foot forward. i try to be who i am. >> reporter: on top of their legal troubles, the giudice's marriage has been dogged by persistent tabloid rumors that joe is cheating on his wife. joe joined us in the giudice kitsch ton talk about their life together. >> reporter: there have been tabloid rumors that you've been cheating. >> it's like every week, isn't it? >>. >> reporter: what's that like? >> it comes from being on television. it comes with the territory. >> someone takes a shot and says i'm cheating. it doesn't make a difference. >> reporter: what has it done to the two of you? >> nothing. we're good. >> no rumor is ever going to come between us.

if anything, through all this, it's made us stronger and, you know, we're grateful for that. >> reporter: like many of the housewives, teresa has used her fame to build an empire. she's turned her skills in the kitchen into a career as a three-time new york times best selling cookbook author. she sells everything from hair care to desserts to her favored belini, which she calls a fabilini. teresa and joe run the business together. she is the face, he is the salesman, working behind the scenes. they hope to make this their legacy. how does that feel, how far you've come? >> the reason we are doing it is for our daughters so they could think about their future and what choices they want to make in their lives. >> reporter: joanne teresa's future is unclear. they're scheduled to appear in court in april. they are each facing more than 30 years in prison. obviously you have a lot of

uncertainties. some major legal issues. what are you hoping for in terms of you future? >> just basically to get through all the bad stuff. and looking forward to the future with, you know, my wife and kids. and there's days where, you know, you feel a little depressed at times. but other than that, you just stay strong and just keep moving forward. otherwise, if you just think about it, it will kill you. >> reporter: can you see a day when the stormpassed? >> eventually that day will come. >> one day at a time. >> for "nightline," amy robach in new jersey. >> up next for us. a school principal turns bohemian rhapsody to act dami a rhapsody. ♪ school is canceled because it's cold ♪

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that it's given me time toabout reflect on some of life'seen biggest questions. like, if you could save hundreds on car insurance by making one simple call, why wouldn't you make that call? see, the only thing i can think of is that you can't get any... bars. ah, that's better. it's a beautiful view. i wonder if i can see mt. rushmore from here. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. >> "nightline" continues with "feed frenzy." >> the fda trying to get teens to not light up by appealing to their vanity. and be warned, it's graphic. it's a $115 million nationwide campaign. it's one of a kind.

>> pack of cigarettes, ploo ez. >> it's not enough. soo. >> what spoking does to you through visuals. from your skin to your teeth to your friends. the fda wants you to know they're all going to pay the price. now here's another creative approach to getting the message out. this kentucky school principal knew kids loved snow days. their parents not so much. ♪ we just got a call breaking news ♪ ♪ school is closed ♪ school is closed ♪ >> he teamed up with the drama teacher to put a spin on that phone call president. ♪ school is canceled ♪ school is canceled ♪ because it's cold >> and a father driving around with his 4-year-old son noticed the kid was having a tough time in the backseat. ♪ say something i'm giving up on you ♪ ♪ >> are you sure, you want me to change it? >> apparently a great big world's "say something" hit home

for this backseat choir. >> is it a sad song? >> maybe he's got an old soul or a big heart. >> give me a thumb's up you're okay. thanks for watching abc. "world news now" is coming up soon with overnight fwraeking news. tune into good morning america tomorrow. as always, we're online at abc news.com.

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