Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Revenue:
Investment interest income	$ 70,215	$ 89,203	$ 98,432
Investment interest expense	(40,932)	(35,806)	(29,250)
Net interest margin	29,283	53,397	69,182
Property income	64,184	112,836	124,157
Fee and other income	6,251	7,374	18,275
Total revenue	99,718	173,607	211,614
Expenses:
Interest expense	35,544	55,049	61,750
Real estate operating expense	37,198	56,894	62,726
Property management expenses	8,853	9,479	9,322
General and administrative expenses:
Compensation expense	13,426	18,437	15,349
Other general and administrative expense	11,816	13,273	14,708
Total general and administrative expenses	25,242	31,710	30,057
Acquisition and integration expenses	455	624	2,332
Provision for loan losses	45,614	8,050	8,300
Depreciation and amortization expense	28,173	51,304	45,505
IRT internalization and management transition expenses	736	6,271
Shareholder activism expense	2,464
Employee separation expenses	575
Total expenses	184,854	219,381	219,992
Operating (Loss) Income	(85,136)	(45,774)	(8,378)
Interest and other income (expense), net	100	(427)	(1,083)
Gain (losses) on assets	23,439	53,272	37,393
Gain (losses) on extinguishment of debt	488	1,331
Asset impairment	(102,490)	(37,785)	(8,179)
Gain (losses) on deconsolidation of VIEs	5,855
Goodwill impairment	(8,342)
Change in fair value of financial instruments	13,422	(5,946)	11,638
Income (loss) before taxes	(152,664)	(35,329)	31,391
Income tax benefit (provision)	861	(2,550)	(2,798)
Income (loss) from continuing operations	(151,803)	(37,879)	28,593
Discontinued operations:
Income (loss) from discontinued operations		40,144	34,900
Gain (loss) on disposal of discontinued operations		47,808
Net income (loss)	(151,803)	50,073	63,493
(Income) loss allocated to preferred shares	(32,816)	(35,160)	(32,830)
(Income) loss allocated to noncontrolling interests	(76)	(24,733)	(23,505)
Net income (loss) allocable to common shares	(184,695)	(9,820)	7,158
Amount attributable to common shares
Net income (loss) available to common shares from continuing operations	(184,695)	(69,604)	(2,002)
Net income (loss) available to common shares from discontinued operations		59,784	9,160
Net income (loss) allocable to common shares	$ (184,695)	$ (9,820)	$ 7,158
Earnings (loss) per share-Basic:
Earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations	$ (2.02)	$ (0.77)	$ (0.03)
Earnings (loss) per share from discontinued operations		0.66	0.11
Earnings (loss) per share-Basic	$ (2.02)	$ (0.11)	$ 0.08
Weighted-average shares outstanding-Basic	91,479,533	91,153,861	85,524,073
Earnings (loss) per share-Diluted:
Earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations	$ (2.02)	$ (0.77)	$ (0.03)
Earnings (loss) per share from discontinued operations		0.66	0.11
Earnings (loss) per share-Diluted	$ (2.02)	$ (0.11)	$ 0.08
Weighted average shares outstanding-Diluted	91,479,533	91,153,861	86,457,871