selling your house? it's more dangerous than you think. >> tonight on "20/20," the shark is showing us the ropes while we play real estate roulette. they bought their dream home and that's where their began. >> someone obviously hates us. >> sending valentines to neighborhood wives. who went over the edge? this mother of the year? >> you enjoyed this, didn't you? >> bitter revenge. plus, attack of the open houses. who knew this could turn deadly.

>> cut someone in the face with it, you buy a few seconds. >> safety tips to keep an attack from happening. open house horrors. and, she got her dream home. one problem, her ex-husband is still in it. and not just him. >> you're living in an apartment with your new husband, your ex-husband -- >> tonight, we're spinning the wheel on real estate roulette. now, david muir and elizabeth vargas. >> it's almost the season of sales. time to start listing your house. next month is the most popular time of the year for it. but what if your dream house is someone else's, too? about to turn your home sweet

home into a nightmare? >> little pranks at first, but then real danger. strangers showing up, playing real estate roulette with their lives. here's chris conley. >> reporter: before it turned terrifying at this suburban house in sunny san diego -- >> every week something was happening. something else was happening. >> you have no idea who it could be. >> someone was trying to rape my wife. >> it's scary. >> reporter: before they took note of every act against them, before they took desperate measures to protect themselves. from spikes on the fence -- >> it's always on our mind. >> reporter: this stuff never goes away. to self-defense instruction. >> i would kind of think about, like, the escape route. >> reporter: before all that, in the fall of 2011, jerry rice, a former competitive swimmer, was teaching special ed classes for kids with autism. wife janice ruhter was a microbiologist at a children's hospital. they had one child and another very much on the way.

how big out to here were you at the time, janice? >> pretty big out, yeah. i was about, what, eight, nine months, i think? >> reporter: they'd been saving for a house and thanks to friend and real estate agent renee milton, they got one. this one-story house in a peaceful cul-de-sac. >> it's a wonderful place where everyone pretty much knows each other. people, in the morning, go for walks. they take their dogs out. they skip by the park on the way to school. >> reporter: at $779,000, the house scraped the top of their range, but -- >> it was amazing. it was like, "what? this is ours?" we were going to raise our family in the house. and we were going to start -- >> really soon. a home is a big deal. to purchase a home is a huge deal. >> reporter: excited for the imminent arrival of daughter avery, jerry says he barely noticed the unusual note that would be a kind of introduction to their nightmare. a note that came to the house in

their first month here. >> it basically said that someone was willing to offer up to $100,000 to buy our home from us. >> $100,000 above the price that you'd paid for it? >> i threw it in a cupboard. our daughter was overdue. >> reporter: only then, something a little creepy. the house turned up again for sale, on the real estate site zillow, under an obviously fake realtor's name, jacques arse. >> he called and asked me if i had listed their home forsale. i couldn't understand who would take a home that we purchased and put it online? >> reporter: that was the start of an escalating harassment campaign. next, $1,000 in bills for bladder control products. magazine subscriptions arrived. the mail stopped entirely. there was an online ad for a new year's eve party at their home. tame stuff? maybe. but the rices got the ominous big picture. someone was targeting them and

wanted them out. >> who was it that wanted them out of this house so bad? and was it just one person? someone was trying to harass them to where they would leave this property. >> reporter: next, an attempt to get the rice's neighbors angry with them -- a valentine's day card. the ideal way to share a little love with that special someone. only paul abel, one of the rices' neighbors, didn't see it quite that way. because the card was sent to his wife, tanya. wait a minute, paul. it wasn't from you? >> wasn't from me. >> reporter: what did the valentine's day card say, tanya? >> it said, "love, jerry rice." >> reporter: paul hadn't even met jerry yet. he decided to change that in a hurry. >> he got mad. he went right out the door and went and knocked on their door. he's not the jealous type, but he -- he left the house in five minutes. >> fast. who's this guy that -- i have a beautiful wife. she's mine, and who is he sending out a valentine card? >> reporter: in fact, valentine's day cards purportedly signed by jerry had been sent to every wife in the cul-de-sac.

>> you know, it was the same thing i said to everyone. i -- you know, i'm really sorry. we're getting harassed by someone. someone obviously hates us. >> reporter: but who was the hater? with two children to protect, jerry and janice would never forget the jolt of fear they felt as a cop gave it to them straight. >> he said whoever was doing it was probably pretty sick. they were probably watching. and that sent chills down my back, having the police officer tell me that. you know, we need to watch out for our children. >> it's scary. we were very suspicious of everyone. >> reporter: jerry sprang into action. he locked the mailbox and set up surveillance. >> we didn't know who was messing with us, and they could be coming up to our front door so we put up security cameras. >> reporter: this gate offered extra security, but week by week, their sense of siege worsened. what next? who was watching? it all haunted jerry. >> he became very distant, and really focused on trying to protect our family. he would be up a lot during the night.

>> check all the locks around the house, and then check on the kids. >> reporter: what was it like one of those nights when you just sort of ask yourself, "why is this happening to us?" >> janice asked that a lot. "why is this happening to us?" i was more concerned of who was doing this and where they were going to attack us next. >> reporter: they turned to cops. never imagining how shocking it would be. this is your picture, and these are the words underneath it. "carmel valley freak show. come see me during the day while my husband is at work, and we can get our freak on." >> you know, my stomach dropped. i was like, "oh, okay. now my photo's on there. that's -- that's very personal." >> reporter: and your home address? where your children live? >> right. >> reporter: then, while at work, jerry got an urgent message from the police. >> come back to the house because they had some

information to share with us, and they wanted me there with janice. >> reporter: men had responded to that online ad and been in touch with someone pretending to be janice. this is what one of them had been told. "just stop by any monday, friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. i like the element of surprise." someone pretending to be you. >> right. >> reporter: did it occur to you at that moment how much danger you were in? >> oh, yeah. >> reporter: who is that strange man at the front door? who was behind it all. remember that long-forgotten note from an unsuccessful buyer offering $100,000 above their purchase price? what was the name document? >> cokathy rowe.

>> reporter: she had seen that face before on halloween. >> reporter: coming up -- who is that strange man at the front door? and kathy rowe. outbid. >> when i walked in, it felt like my house. >> reporter: yeah, but it wasn't your house. stay with us. for this. [boy] check it out,mom! [prof. burke]when you're really only covered for this. or how you figured you were covered for this. when you're actually paying for this. you might be surprised at what's hiding in your coverage. talk to farmers and get smarter about your insurance. ♪ we are farmers bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ make vat kohl'ss day special and save late friday and early saturday! like 70% off jewelry... and save on dress shirts and ties for him. plus, go to kohl's dot com for an extra 15% off savings pass!

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"20/20" continues with real estate roulette. once again, chris connelly. >> reporter: it needed work. but don't we all? when this single-story house with a pool, in san diego's carmel valley came up for sale, a lot of families wanted it. married couple jerry rice and janice ruhter got it. this woman, kathy rowe, then a 50-year-old unassuming wife and mother was among those who didn't get the house. that just didn't seem right. at least if you were kathy rowe, it didn't. >> i had put so much hope into this house. i walked in, it was my house.

>> reporter: yeah, but it wasn't your house. >> no. but it felt like the house i always wanted to own. and when i found out we didn't get it, it was devastating. it was heartbreaking. almost like the loss of a loved one. >> reporter: kathy rowe had a job with the county, had a very ill husband, she said, and had a mother of the year award for being the sole caregiver looking after their severely disabled daughter, rachel. that house, though. >> it had more significance than just a structure with four walls. when i lost it, it -- i just -- i cried and cried. >> reporter: kathy rowe also had enough bank to offer $100k more for jerry and janice's home. when they failed to respond to the note she sent them, she launched a harassment campaign. stopping their mail, relisting the house on zillow, sending those phony valentines. oh, and at the outset?

coming by the house with her daughter on halloween. you wanted to see who was in the house, didn't you? >> i had no interest in them. i was more curious what they had done to the house. >> reporter: who came to the door when you trick-or-treated? >> the -- the wife. >> reporter: the wife, janice, whose photo kathy rowe would later put on this carmel valley freak show online ad, inviting men to stop by anytime. >> i was jealous. destroyed and devastated with pain and depression and -- >> reporter: why did that result in your lashing out at innocent people? >> i don't -- that's the form that it took. >> reporter: you enjoyed this, didn't you? >> no. >> reporter: you enjoyed making these people suffer. >> well, i thought it was funny. i did not view it as suffering. >> reporter: but when men responded to the ad, kathy rowe wrote them back, fueling the fire, providing specific and perverse encouragement to one

25-year-old male looking for fun, with a totally unaware janice. i'm going to leave out the dirty words here. but this is someone pretending to be you. "i'm pretty much home all day every day, bored and incredibly horny. i love to be surprised and have a man just show up at the door, and force his way in the door and on me, totally taking me while i say no." janice, what is the person who is writing this trying to do to you? >> she wanted me raped. >> this is my wife they're talking about. there's no mistaking the intent there. >> reporter: then, for the rices, the ultimate nightmare. another man did show up at the house, only janice wasn't home. jerry met him at the front door. he thought he was going to walk in and have his way with your wife. >> i knew something was off with the guy. >> reporter: flummoxed, the man fled and e-mailed kathy rowe. "a guy was there. had to make up an excuse why i was there." but kathy rowe wouldn't let it go and urged him to return to the house, with another sordid

scenario. i remember what you said. it's like, "i hope it's okay with you i see other guys." >> right. >> reporter: and you ask about threesomes. >> well, he had no interest in being involved if there was any other man involved. >> reporter: you're the luckiest person in the world because of that, aren't you? >> it never even crossed my mind that -- that a man could go to the house and hurt her. >> reporter: probably should have, shouldn't it? >> oh, absolutely. i normally am more concerned about other people's safety and welfare than my own. >> reporter: yeah, not so much this time. >> absolutely not, this time. it's just how impaired my thinking was. >> reporter: kathy insisted we also speak to her psychologist sage breslin, ph.d, who largely attributes kathy's actions and state of mind to excessive sleep deprivation, brought on in part by her round the clock care for her daughter. >> it isn't one of those things where you sleep for a couple of days and then you feel better.

sleep deprivation makes a person get crazy. >> reporter: i think we can understand the mental pain you were in. you know? and i think we can understand the sleeplessness, as well. what's hard for us to understand is how thousands of families go through everything you were going through and they don't lash out at innocent people. >> i think people have more -- have resiliency by their support network, by their family, by their friends. i -- i didn't have those. >> she was playing russian roulette with my family, you know? there's no question in my mind she would get the right person at the right moment to come to the house and things would've happened. >> reporter: things happened all right. "catch," the high-tech law enforcement task force, connected the dots between those sexed-up online solicitations in janice's name and kathy rowe's computer. >> we identified ms. rowe through search warrants to yahoo.

and then that led to the identification of the residence. >> reporter: the heat paid kathy rowe a visit. eventually, she admitted to it all. initially, she faced the possibility of nine years in prison. after many months of legal wrangling and a new life as a media sensation. >> kathy rowe tried to -- >> kathy rowe seemed -- >> a major fall from grace -- >> reporter: she copped a plea to felony stalking and apologized to the rices. >> all the things that i've put them through. the stress, the lack of privacy, just -- i'm just very sorry. >> i think that you said you didn't want to hurt them, i think that's exactly what you wanted to do, was to hurt them for buying the house that you wanted. >> i was sentenced, to one year of confinement on a home ankle monitor and five years of probation. >> she actually is going to be watched a lot longer than she would have if she served some jail time.

>> kathy continues to have the responsibility for her daughter. her daughter has maybe 100 to 150 medical appointments on an annual basis. kathy has lost her job. she is the only person holding this family together at this point in time. >> i may be the least liked person in san diego county. a horrible, evil person who wanted to harm this nice couple. and -- >> reporter: in what way is that incorrect? >> i did not intend to harm them. >> reporter: apologies aside, janice and jerry are still afraid. >> i believe that ms. rowe continues to be a dangerous person because of her skills of manipulation and her ability to lie. i kind of think she has more of a reason now to attack us. so obviously, you know, we're -- we're very concerned for the family. >> reporter: oh, and speaking of families? kathy rowe bought a new home for

her family, just one mile away from jerry and janice's place. >> wow. just a mile away. have you ever lost something you wanted so badly, you went a little crazy trying to get it back or get revenge? let us know on facebook or twitter. use #abc2020. >> plus, a woman sharing a new home with her ex and her new husband. plus, it's her dream home. only one problem, her ex-husband is still in it. dividing everything. but that's nothing compared to this. >> you are living in an apartment with your new husband, your ex-husband. >> two is company. three is chaos. coming up. but for people with copd, the world is filled with air.

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after a divorce, it's often all about dividing up the estate. but what about when a couple continues to live together? that's when you see locks on the

bedroom and "x"s on a piece of fruit, meaning stay away. debra roberts has the story. >> reporter: in her 20 years in real estate, carol e. levy rarely finds a problem she can't fix. apartment drab? she'll make it fab. space not great? she'll renovate! >> needs a major re-do. >> reporter: and make you tons of money. >> reporter: carol is 100% hands-on. and not afraid to get those hands dirty! >> i love new york! >> reporter: if you think carol has a "flair" for the dramatic, she comes by it naturally. >> reporter: an actress back in the '80s. now instead of products, she's pitching high-end real estate.

>> i'm not just a broker, i'm a transformer of homes. the makeover maven does it again. >> reporter: her greatest triumph? her own 5,000 square foot multi million duplex she redesigned in one of new york city's most iconic buildings, the beresford. known for its a-listers, jerry seinfeld and john mcenroe live here. >> the apartments are spectacular. the location right by central park with the museum. it was everything i wanted. you know, it has a magical castle feel. it really is a "wow" apartment, as soon as you walk into it. i saw it as the perfect dream home. >> reporter: a grand marble staircase, six beds, four baths, wood burning fireplaces, and lots of space to entertain. a labor of love built with then husband chris lipman. father of her two daughters chloe and camryn. just over ten years after creating that "palace in the sky," the sky fell in on their marriage. they divorced.

and for the past four years the self-proclaimed "makeover maven" has been facing her toughest real estate hurdle yet, an unwanted housemate, one who just happens to be her ex. a judge ruled they'll have to share their marital home until it sells. usually when people split up, they go their separate ways, they move out. you didn't move out. nobody moved out. >> it was a situation that really was created by my ex. unfortunately until he has the funds from the sale of the apartment, he doesn't have the ability to move on. >> reporter: well, some would argue, why wouldn't you get him an apartment to get him out of your home? >> i tried. i offered him additional spousal support at the beginning, a lot, to get his own place. he refused that. >> reporter: how do you make this work? are there lines drawn? "don't come across this area. this is my property, that's your property"? >> this was all mapped out in the divorce agreement. what bedroom would be his bedroom, and what space he could use.

>> reporter: this floor plan shows those lines of demarcation. carol and her teen girls live on upstairs. the ex? he's on the floor below. >> way in the back of the apartment is the guest bedroom. >> reporter: chris declined our request for an interview, and even insisted we not enter the home, so carol, still an actress at heart, agreed to film for us. >> by the way, installed just a small lock on the door. >> reporter: is there anything about the arrangement that's toxic for your daughters, do you think? >> there is nothing at all "toxic." i think it's been healthier for them that the divorce wasn't suddenly, abruptly daddy moving out. >> reporter: but there has got to be something tough about the arrangement. >> there are sometimes when his presence there i do feel is intrusive on my life. like, if i am in the kitchen and i want to go in there and he's there. >> reporter: does he ever cook something in the kitchen that you don't like, or that's smelly? or leave dishes around the kitchen?

>> well, he doesn't clean up after himself, and i do pay for the housekeeper. so there is a little resentment there. >> reporter: in fact, it seems most of the friction happens in that shared kitchen. let's call it the demilitarized zone. lines have been drawn but where? >> let me show you. he marks his fruit, every piece of it, with an "x." don't touch! >> reporter: splitting up without splitting isn't as uncommon as it sounds. in this economy, a growing number of exes can't afford to live apart. but carol's situation may top them all. recently she met her new romeo -- or, joel-eo ? >> i'm down here, my love! >> reporter: wait, he may resemble her ex, but this is carol's new love, joel goron. they married, he moved in and eight weeks ago baby chase

joined the fun. it's a pre-war apartment with a very modern family. so let me get this straight. you are living in an apartment with your new husband, your ex-husband, your daughters, and the baby. >> yup. >> reporter: do you bump into your wife's ex when you are going to the kitchen to get something to? >> yeah, in the kitchen, definitely. >> reporter: you really do? >> yeah, yeah. and then he'll say "hi" or "good morning," and i'll say the same thing back, and that's about it. >> reporter: is it awkward? >> it was originally, but i have accepted it. >> reporter: your house is on the market. >> yes. >> reporter: close to $20 million. >> yes. >> reporter: your ex-husband has suggested that you have kept the price beyond what it needs to be so that you don't have to sell the apartment. >> absolutely not. it appraised for $21 million i am the expert of the building. i know what its value is. >> reporter: how long before you get this deal done? >> it'll happen soon. >> reporter: when that big deal

finally happens, carol's ex will walk away with almost half that fortune. and these newlyweds will walk away with the gift they've been dreaming of. so when you sell the apartment, are you going to miss having your ex-husband living with you? >> no. next, it could risk your life. the shark herself, barbara corcoran, with details. >> cut someone in the face with it. >> coming up, on real estate roulette. okay handbag out there...surprise!! and you could get a priceless surprise. woah!! who's next? four!! from golf experiences to concert tickets. ♪ so much cooler when you do it do it do it. ♪ ♪ let's spark the fire. even the chance to meet gwen stefani. ♪ let's spark the fire. cool hair ah! haha priceless. ♪ everybody let's go! and quit a lot,ot but ended up nowhere. now...i use this. the nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release technology

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they've given all your favorite numbers games new, simpler names. and for something really simple, play the all-new pick 2. easy to play. simple to say. hard to believe, but people are already getting ready to put their house on the the question is, are you opening up your home for people looking for someone else? here's rebecca jarvis. >> reporter: real estate agents are starting to salivate. home sales are up, interest rates are low, and the economy is improving. so you'd think they'd all be out there staging homes and prepping listings, right?

so why is this room full of agents in new jersey learning how to stab someone in the eye? >> my thumb is in your eye socket. >> reporter: they're taking a self-defense course specifically tailored for real estate agents, because their job can be downright dangerous. >> being in the real estate business is one of the most high-risk businesses in the nation, and yet people don't know about it. >> reporter: real estate mogul and "shark tank" star barbara corcoran says you never know who exactly will be coming to check out that listing, and they may be walking away with more than the property fact sheet. there's been a recent rash of open house rip-offs. like this woman, caught pilfering prescription pills from an open house and charged with felony drug possession. so what's a homeowner to do? >> medication, so valuable. >> reporter: the wrong person is going to take it. >> of course they're going to take it, so you must lock it up. >> reporter: now check out this guy, facing multiple burglary charges for sauntering out of open houses with high-end jewelry.

his lawyer told abc news his client is innocent until proven guilty. >> there's nothing wrong with leaving out a jewelry box, but make sure you have junk jewelry inside, not the real deal. >> reporter: why junk jewelry? >> because if you -- empty out the whole jewelry box, someone sees it, oh, there's the jewelry, oh, it's not here. they'll start looking to find out where the jewelry is. >> reporter: but the danger isn't limited to homeowners. the agent you've hired to help you buy or sell your house could easily end up on the 5:00 news. >> a local real estate agent says he did not think he would live to see his family again. >> reporter: and it's not just dangerous. it can be deadly. in the last decade, more than 20 real estate agents were murdered, according to the u.s. bureau of labor statistics. take the case of beverly carter, an experienced real estate agent who disappeared from a little rock area house she was showing last october, while allegedly meeting a potential cash buyer.

after a days-long search, her body was found in a shallow grave. the man accused of her murder giving a perp walk statement and later pleading not guilty to capital murder. >> why beverly? >> because she was a rich broker. >> reporter: are real estate agents sitting ducks? >> they are. nothing is more essential to the real estate business than a new customer, and a new customer could be a good customer or it could be the wrong customer. >> reporter: and it's mostly female agents who are meeting "mr. wrong customer." women make up 60% of the real estate agent population, and it is a requirement of the job to market yourself relentlessly, to perfect strangers. they know more about you than you would ever know about them when they show up at your home. >> their cell number is on the business card, it's online, they blog about particular open houses, they talk about their children, and being open like that of course makes them a lot more vulnerable.

>> reporter: san antonio real estate agent janice tisdale had always been cautious, but a few years ago she found herself in a perilous situation with a client, and barely escaped with her life. it was a few days before christmas, and tisdale had arranged to meet this man, emilio maldonado, and his banker in a remote subdivision. >> as soon as i pulled up i said, "where's your banker?" and he goes, "oh, he couldn't come today." and i thought, "oh, this is weird." >> reporter: tisdale did a lot of things right that day. she took off her diamond jewelry, and made sure she had an escape route, just like barbara corcoran recommends. >> i make sure foremost that i have an exit strategy. i open the gates on the back of the house. i open the back door. >> reporter: so if you were showing me this home -- >> i would say, "have a look at the bedroom." >> reporter: and you would make sure you're there. >> i'd keep my eye on you but i want to stay by the door. >> reporter: corcoran says agents should realize they're already armed for combat.

>> you should have a cell phone in one hand, and in your other hand you should carry your car keys. this doesn't look like it's a bad weapon but cut someone in the face with it, you buy a few seconds to make your runaway. >> reporter: as tisdale and her client toured the vacant house, tisdale's instincts were telling her to bolt. >> and finally i said, "we really need to go." and i reached down to pick up the lock box. that's when he struck me over the head. >> reporter: maldonado was wielding a tire thumper, used by long haul truckers to check tire pressure. and now blood was gushing from the back of tisdale's head. maldonado held the 64-year-old grandmother hostage for 45 minutes until she was finally able to use her remaining strength to break away. >> i was screaming. i just thought, "you're dead, janice, you are dead." >> reporter: in the distance, tisdale spotted some teenagers

driving a banged-up honda civic. >> and here come those kids, and their window was down, so i just screamed, "help me, help me. he's trying to kill me." and they slammed on their brakes, and five teenagers bounded out of this car. >> reporter: maldonado was arrested soon after. now he's serving 60 years for aggravated robbery. and as for the teens who came to janice tisdale's rescue? >> i have five more children now. so instead of four, i have nine. what more could a mother want? >> reporter: well, actually, this mother wants one more protective friend. these days, when she shows properties she brings along a beretta tomcat. >> so happy you're alive. amazing. >> thank you. >> just wonderful. >> reporter: the shark and the survivor spoke via skype. >> i hear you teach all the new realtors what to be careful

about. i bet one of the big lessons you're teaching is trust your gut. >> that is the thing i end with is trust your gut because if you don't, you can end up dead or you could have staples in your head like i did. >> get off! back! get down! >> reporter: and that's why it may be good to get this kind of training -- in case you have to take matters into your own hands. >> it's comforting to have this knowledge, and to know that i'm not helpless. >> and barbara has a lot safetiy tips. you can find them on our web page. when you're clearing your property, make sure it clears your house. >> it's going the wrong way.

oh, my gosh. >> when real estate roulette returns. are you crazy? let's hide behind the chainsaws. smart. yeah. ok. if you're in a horror movie, you make poor decisions. it's what you do. this was a good idea. shhhh. be quiet. i'm being quiet. you're breathing on me! if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. it's what you do. head for the cemetery! try zyrtec-d® to powerfully clear your blocked nose and relieve your other allergy symptoms... so you can breathe easier all day. zyrtec-d®. find it at the pharmacy counter. zyrtec-d®. how you're going to survive another harsh winter, or stay dry from torrential rain showers, or savor the last warm rays of sun... step inside the jeep grand cherokee...

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climbing just use one foot at a time to meet up with mark chisolm. >> reporter: yeah, im great! >> reporter: three time world climbing champion and a spokesman for stihl chainsaws -- >> welcome to my office. >> reporter: this is where you work, huh? what do trees have to do with real estate anyway? >> you buy property you're going to have trees and they are usually close to your house and everything else. you got to have the ability to maintain your property. >> reporter: trees can be the ultimate real estate nightmare. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: just one bad storm can send them crashing down almost anywhere. it happens regularly. just this past week -- >> the tree came down with such force it shook the neighborhood. >> reporter: a tree toppling in a windstorm outside washington, d.c. captured on a 911 call. >> it's actually falling on my home right now. it just fell on my home. >> reporter: but hiring someone like mark to cut the trouble down in advance can cost up to several thousand dollars. too expensive for juan morales of lakeland, florida.

>> they wanted $2,000 per tree and i was like, oh, no. >> reporter: he saved a fortune renting this equipment. unfortunately, professional expertise was not included. >> my brother had the boom lifted as high as it would go. i got scared because he was way too close to the tree. at that time i started yelling at him. >> get out! >> reporter: i heard that tree snap. >> wow. >> reporter: juan was actually lucky, no major damage to the house. the hagen family in brighton michigan? not so fortunate. >> the big chainsaw is on the porch. >> reporter: that's elizabeth doing the somewhat skeptical play by play as her husband craig does his best tim allen from "home improvement." >> people build confidence over time.

they say, this went where i wanted, this went where i wanted, i can do that one too. >> oh, my gosh. >> reporter: the winds must have changed. >> oh. that's painful to watch. >> that was not good at all! >> reporter: no, it wasn't. the hagens had a good $1,000 worth of damage. trees hit houses. they're all over the internet. trees crashing into large homes, small sheds, and whatever else. >> oh, no. >> oh! >> told you it's going fall that way. >> reporter: the good news for all you apprentice paul bunyans if you destroy your house with a tree, insurance is supposed to pay. however, if you miss the house itself and only destroy the

front yard you're on your own. when it's not your house it's oddly compelling to watch. >> there goes your power, fool. >> reporter: but mark says it isn't funny. >> a lot of people get hurt or killed doing this. it's a big problem. >> reporter: what are they doing wrong? a lot of people come up to a tree and they say, "this has got to be simple, you just slice right through it, right?" >> yeah and that's a mistake. >> reporter: mark says cut straight through and the tree just falls where gravity takes it. for control you need to start with a "face cut" in the front of the tree, a "back cut" in the rear, and never, ever cut through the middle called "the hinge." you can teach someone how to do this in a day? >> yes. >> reporter: mark is going to show me on this 45-foot white pine already slated to be removed. >> stand back. got it turned on? there you go.

>> timber! told you you could do it! >> reporter: an hour later -- i've safely felled my first three dead trees. but there's more to this than just proper cutting. how do you know which way a tree is going to fall? >> well, you've got to assess the tree as a whole. >> reporter: according to mark, if you can't judge how the tree is leaning, leave it to someone who can. >> reporter: done properly, you can be incredibly precise. these two guys in packwood, washington, figured it out to perfection. precision almost hard to believe. that is worth another look. 60 feet of pine through a three-foot opening. >> beautiful. thank you, god. >> reporter: then there's ryan anderson of middleton, idaho, whose property we showed you earlier. >> i want to pile up toothpicks when we're done. >> reporter: he wanted to build a new home where his old one was

standing. to cut the demolition costs he figured why not just use those giant douglas firs? >> how often do you get to see a tree fall through and cut a house in half? >> we had six trees fall. there it goes. there it goes! hearing the windows break, the wood crack, seeing the branches fly, it was a ton of fun! >> reporter: back in the woods, it's time for my final exam, and i need a target. keeping with the real estate theme, we opt for this majestic mansion dollhouse. you're saying i can hit that dollhouse with this tree? >> you can. i'm not saying it's going to be easy. >> reporter: here we go. oh, no. i missed! i missed! no! no! >> take two. >> reporter: i'm giving it one more shot. >> same thing as before.

good grip. let her rip. let's see what you got. >> reporter: whoo! >> you did it! >> reporter: bull's-eye! >> you couldn't do more damage than that. >> reporter: i had a lot of instruction there. (woman) caring for someone with alzheimer's means i am a lot of things. i am his guardian. i am his voice. so i asked about adding once-daily namenda xr® to his current treatment for moderate to severe alzheimer's. it works differently. when added to another alzheimer's treatment, like aricept®,

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"action news" troubleshooters cold air this weekend and the "action news" troubleshooters tackle a house playing with rats >> it's cold and going to get colder and