Magicians and their sleight of hand

In a short YouTube video, a man shares what he does whenever he runs out of cash and he forgets his wallet and his credit cards: He holds five $1 bills in his hand, starts counting them one by one, and folds them. One quick toss and suddenly, the $1 bills become five $100 bills.

He made the change astoundingly fast, smooth, and natural. No amount of attention paid into that video can catch how it's done.

The man in the video is Carl Rheuban. Aside from his real estate consultancy and entrepreneurial endeavors, he has been performing tricks with bills and cards before big and small crowds for almost 60 years.

The secret---the quickness of hand, that is---is not really clandestine. Such talent has been known, discussed, and revealed for centuries, but not everyone is bound to possess the ability to deceive even the keenest eye with swift and suave maneuvers.

Part of "The Secrets of Stage Conjuring" by the great illusionist Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin includes one of the earliest writings on the sly power of the hand, which he so artfully described: "My hands are short ... but that very shortness is a virtue, if not a beauty. The dexterity of the fingers is in inverse proportion to their length."

The skill relies not solely on the physiology of the hand, of course. As succinctly told in a 1912 book titled "Our Magic," the success of a magical act hinges on the workings of the mind: The real art in performance magic is largely intellectual. It requires a great deal of mental discipline to achieve precision and technical adeptness. Rheuban says he has done the trick many times. But because of the profound skill that goes into it, it never fails to elicit spectacular reactions.  

Whenever he is not busy managing his businesses, Carl Rheuban performs magic tricks before intimate and big crowds. Visit this website to know more about his skills.

Carl Rheuban has been a Life Member of the Magic Castle for over 40 years.

The Magic Castle is both a building and a membership club in Hollywood, California that is devoted to the art and craft of magic as an entertainment vehicle.  Only members and their guests are allowed to enter this castle-like structure.  Inside you will find a Victorian décor.  Lots of velvet, torches and secret passageways add to the fun.  Bars and restaurants are in the castle as are many performance venues.  While there are many levels of membership, Magician Members are actively practicing their craft as a hobby or a career.  Every night that the Castle is open, you can watch members give performances.  The castle is actually organized around a non-profit academy devoted to the advancement of magic.  

 

Image Source: wikipedia.org

To become a magician member, a person needs to apply, pay a membership fee and be able to demonstrate a knowledge of magic and perform an audition in front of an interview committee.  Carl Rheuban, who has practiced magic for 60 years, became a life member over 40 years ago. Since Rheuban specializes in close-up and parlor effects with coins and cards, he fits well into the Castle venue.  In fact, the structure contains venues specifically for close-up and parlor tricks.

 

Image Source: magiccastle.com

One effect that Carl Rheuban likes to perform is one that he has up on YouTube, in which he changes five $1 bills into five $100 bills before your eyes.  He notes that viewers love this trick, wishing they could make it work for them when money is tight.  

 

Image Source: tripadvisor.com 

In addition, to receiving privileges to visit the Castle, members can bring guests and can access one of the world’s most extensive libraries on magic and related areas.  

If you ever have the opportunity to visit the Magic Castle, make sure you do so.  It is an experience you will not forget.

Top real estate trends in 2014: A rundown

Real estate consultants like Carl Rheuban can help potential homebuyers and real estate investors make wise decisions based on the emerging developments in residential and commercial properties.  Here are three of them: 

Real estate is recovering. Particular segments like the housing market are well on its way to recovery, with local housing markets propelling its growth.  A huge chunk of investments and construction projects will be located, not in the current major economic hubs like New York and San Francisco, but in second-tier cities like Austin, Dallas, and Portland. 

Crowdfunding invades real estate. Rapidly changing the game in real estate investment is crowdfinancing, a business strategy where real estate-focused funds are being pooled from a group of investors through the social media.  In a way that democratizes access to high quality investment, crowdfinancing has steadily grown in revenues, and is even making a mark on Wall Street. 

 

Image Source: zillow.com

The boom in the said model gave rise to a growing number of real estate crowdfunding firms.  Forbes lists down seven firms that show the biggest potential in this article. 

 

Image Source: huffingtonpost.com

Multifamily properties are steadily gaining ground.  Families and young professionals are giving up the prospects of owning a single home for smaller but more affordable and accessible multifamily units.  Apartment complexes saw an increase in share of housing across the United States, the highest in fourdecades.

 

Image Source: drawbacksof.com

Demand for multifamily spaces has been continuously growing, and is expected to keep its momentum until 2016, according to industry forecast. Such trend opens a big window of opportunities for potential investors.

Lawyer and entrepreneur CarlRheuban is also the founder of Rheuban Partners, a real estate consultancy group.  To learn more about Mr. Rheuban’s expertise, visit this website.