Segment Reporting (Schedule of Segments) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended										12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014		Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014 segments		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting
Number of reportable segments											4
Operating lease income											$ 243,100		$ 234,567		$ 216,291
Interest income											122,704		108,015		133,410
Other income											81,033		48,208		47,838
Land sales revenue											15,191		0		0
Total revenues	109,950		113,486	129,843	108,749	101,073		95,696	99,919	94,102	462,028		390,790		397,539
Earnings (loss) from equity method investments											94,905		41,520		103,009
Income from sales of real estate											89,943		86,658		63,472
Income (loss) from discontinued operations													2,735	[1]	8,175	[1]
Gain from discontinued operations											0		22,233		27,257
Revenue and other earnings											646,876		543,936		599,452
Real estate expense											(163,389)		(157,441)		(151,458)
Land cost of sales											(12,840)		0		0
Other expense											(5,821)		(8,050)		(17,266)
Allocated interest expense											(224,483)		(266,225)	[2]	(356,161)	[2]
Allocated general and administrative											(75,492)	[3]	(72,853)	[3]	(65,563)	[3]
Segment profit (loss)											164,851	[4]	39,367	[4]	9,004	[4]
Provision for (recovery of) loan losses											(1,714)	[5]	5,489	[5]	81,740	[5]
Impairment of assets											34,634		14,353	[2]	36,354	[2]
Loss on transfer of interest to unconsolidated subsidiary											0		7,373		0
Depreciation and amortization											73,571		71,530	[2]	70,786	[2]
Capitalized expenditures											145,238		111,553		83,070
Real estate, net	2,676,714					2,796,181					2,676,714		2,796,181
Real estate available and held for sale	285,982					360,517					285,982		360,517
Total real estate	2,962,696					3,156,698					2,962,696		3,156,698
Loans receivable and other lending investments, net	1,377,843	[6]				1,370,109	[6]				1,377,843	[6]	1,370,109	[6]
Other investments	354,119					207,209					354,119		207,209
Total portfolio assets	4,694,658					4,734,016					4,694,658		4,734,016
Cash and other assets	768,475					907,995					768,475		907,995
Total assets	5,463,133					5,642,011					5,463,133		5,642,011
Stock-based compensation expense											13,314		19,261		15,293
Operating Segments | Real Estate Finance
Segment Reporting
Operating lease income											0		0		0
Interest income											122,704		108,015		133,410
Other income											21,217		4,748		8,613
Land sales revenue											0
Total revenues											143,921		112,763		142,023
Earnings (loss) from equity method investments											0		0		0
Income from sales of real estate											0		0		0
Income (loss) from discontinued operations													0	[1]	0	[1]
Gain from discontinued operations													0		0
Revenue and other earnings											143,921		112,763		142,023
Real estate expense											0		0		0
Land cost of sales											0
Other expense											(243)		(1,625)		(4,775)
Allocated interest expense											(58,043)		(74,377)	[2]	(111,898)	[2]
Allocated general and administrative											(13,314)	[3]	(13,186)	[3]	(14,263)	[3]
Segment profit (loss)											72,321	[4]	23,575	[4]	11,087	[4]
Provision for (recovery of) loan losses											(1,714)		5,489		81,740
Impairment of assets											0		0	[2]	0	[2]
Loss on transfer of interest to unconsolidated subsidiary													0
Depreciation and amortization											0		0	[2]	0	[2]
Capitalized expenditures											0		0		0
Real estate, net	0					0					0		0
Real estate available and held for sale	0					0					0		0
Total real estate	0					0					0		0
Loans receivable and other lending investments, net	1,377,843					1,370,109					1,377,843		1,370,109
Other investments	0					0					0		0
Total portfolio assets	1,377,843					1,370,109					1,377,843		1,370,109
Operating Segments | Net Lease
Segment Reporting
Operating lease income											151,934		147,313		149,058
Interest income											0		0		0
Other income											4,437		250		0
Land sales revenue											0
Total revenues											156,371		147,563		149,058
Earnings (loss) from equity method investments											3,260		2,699		2,632
Income from sales of real estate											6,206		0		0
Income (loss) from discontinued operations													1,484	[1]	7,289	[1]
Gain from discontinued operations													3,395		27,257
Revenue and other earnings											165,837		155,141		186,236
Real estate expense											(22,967)		(22,565)		(23,886)
Land cost of sales											0
Other expense											0		0		0
Allocated interest expense											(72,089)		(80,034)	[2]	(92,579)	[2]
Allocated general and administrative											(16,736)	[3]	(14,330)	[3]	(10,618)	[3]
Segment profit (loss)											54,045	[4]	38,212	[4]	59,153	[4]
Provision for (recovery of) loan losses											0		0		0
Impairment of assets											3,689		1,176	[2]	6,670	[2]
Loss on transfer of interest to unconsolidated subsidiary													0
Depreciation and amortization											38,841		38,582	[2]	39,250	[2]
Capitalized expenditures											3,933		34,076		10,994
Real estate, net	1,188,160					1,358,248					1,188,160		1,358,248
Real estate available and held for sale	4,521					0					4,521		0
Total real estate	1,192,681					1,358,248					1,192,681		1,358,248
Loans receivable and other lending investments, net	0					0					0		0
Other investments	125,360					16,408					125,360		16,408
Total portfolio assets	1,318,041					1,374,656					1,318,041		1,374,656
Operating Segments | Operating Properties
Segment Reporting
Operating lease income											90,331		86,352		65,706
Interest income											0		0		0
Other income											42,000		38,164		32,615
Land sales revenue											0
Total revenues											132,331		124,516		98,321
Earnings (loss) from equity method investments											1,669		5,546		25,142
Income from sales of real estate											83,737		82,603		63,472
Income (loss) from discontinued operations													1,251	[1]	886	[1]
Gain from discontinued operations													18,838		0
Revenue and other earnings											217,737		232,754		187,821
Real estate expense											(113,504)		(101,044)		(100,258)
Land cost of sales											0
Other expense											0		0		0
Allocated interest expense											(39,535)		(49,114)	[2]	(69,259)	[2]
Allocated general and administrative											(9,684)	[3]	(9,189)	[3]	(7,572)	[3]
Segment profit (loss)											55,014	[4]	73,407	[4]	10,732	[4]
Provision for (recovery of) loan losses											0		0		0
Impairment of assets											8,131		12,449	[2]	28,501	[2]
Loss on transfer of interest to unconsolidated subsidiary													0
Depreciation and amortization											32,142		30,599	[2]	28,450	[2]
Capitalized expenditures											61,186		41,131		51,579
Real estate, net	628,271					638,088					628,271		638,088
Real estate available and held for sale	162,782					228,328					162,782		228,328
Total real estate	791,053					866,416					791,053		866,416
Loans receivable and other lending investments, net	0					0					0		0
Other investments	13,220					16,032					13,220		16,032
Total portfolio assets	804,273					882,448					804,273		882,448
Operating Segments | Land
Segment Reporting
Operating lease income											835		902		1,527
Interest income											0		0		0
Other income											3,327		1,474		2,635
Land sales revenue											15,191
Total revenues											19,353		2,376		4,162
Earnings (loss) from equity method investments											14,966		(5,331)		(6,138)
Income from sales of real estate											0		4,055		0
Income (loss) from discontinued operations													0	[1]	0	[1]
Gain from discontinued operations													0		0
Revenue and other earnings											34,319		1,100		(1,976)
Real estate expense											(26,918)		(33,832)		(27,314)
Land cost of sales											(12,840)
Other expense											0		0		0
Allocated interest expense											(29,432)		(30,368)	[2]	(44,125)	[2]
Allocated general and administrative											(13,170)	[3]	(12,365)	[3]	(7,405)	[3]
Segment profit (loss)											(48,041)	[4]	(75,465)	[4]	(80,820)	[4]
Provision for (recovery of) loan losses											0		0		0
Impairment of assets											22,814		728	[2]	205	[2]
Loss on transfer of interest to unconsolidated subsidiary													(7,373)
Depreciation and amortization											1,440		1,105	[2]	1,276	[2]
Capitalized expenditures											80,119		36,346		20,497
Real estate, net	860,283					799,845					860,283		799,845
Real estate available and held for sale	118,679					132,189					118,679		132,189
Total real estate	978,962					932,034					978,962		932,034
Loans receivable and other lending investments, net	0					0					0		0
Other investments	106,155					29,765					106,155		29,765
Total portfolio assets	1,085,117					961,799					1,085,117		961,799
Corporate, Non-Segment | Corporate/Other
Segment Reporting
Operating lease income											0	[7]	0	[7]	0	[7]
Interest income											0	[7]	0	[7]	0	[7]
Other income											10,052	[7]	3,572	[7]	3,975	[7]
Land sales revenue											0	[7]
Total revenues											10,052	[7]	3,572	[7]	3,975	[7]
Earnings (loss) from equity method investments											75,010	[7]	38,606	[7]	81,373	[7]
Income from sales of real estate											0	[7]	0	[7]	0	[7]
Income (loss) from discontinued operations													0	[1],[7]	0	[1],[7]
Gain from discontinued operations													0	[7]	0	[7]
Revenue and other earnings											85,062	[7]	42,178	[7]	85,348	[7]
Real estate expense											0	[7]	0	[7]	0	[7]
Land cost of sales											0	[7]
Other expense											(5,578)	[7]	(6,425)	[7]	(12,491)	[7]
Allocated interest expense											(25,384)	[7]	(32,332)	[2],[7]	(38,300)	[2],[7]
Allocated general and administrative											(22,588)	[3],[7]	(23,783)	[3],[7]	(25,705)	[3],[7]
Segment profit (loss)											31,512	[4],[7]	(20,362)	[4],[7]	8,852	[4],[7]
Provision for (recovery of) loan losses											0	[7]	0	[7]	0	[7]
Impairment of assets											0	[7]	0	[2],[7]	978	[2],[7]
Loss on transfer of interest to unconsolidated subsidiary													0	[7]
Depreciation and amortization											1,148	[7]	1,244	[2],[7]	1,810	[2],[7]
Capitalized expenditures											0	[7]	0	[7]	0	[7]
Real estate, net	0	[7]				0	[7]				0	[7]	0	[7]
Real estate available and held for sale	0	[7]				0	[7]				0	[7]	0	[7]
Total real estate	0	[7]				0	[7]				0	[7]	0	[7]
Loans receivable and other lending investments, net	0	[7]				0	[7]				0	[7]	0	[7]
Other investments	109,384	[7]				145,004	[7]				109,384	[7]	145,004	[7]
Total portfolio assets	$ 109,384	[7]				$ 145,004	[7]				$ 109,384	[7]	$ 145,004	[7]

[1] For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, excludes certain amounts reclassified to discontinued operations on the Company's Consolidated Statements of Operations.

[2] For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, includes related amounts reclassified to discontinued operations on the Company's Consolidated Statements of Operations.

[3] General and administrative excludes stock-based compensation expense of $13.3 million, $19.3 million and $15.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

[4] The following is a reconciliation of segment profit (loss) to net income (loss) ($ in thousands): For the Years Ended December 31, 2014 2013 2012Segment profit (loss)$164,851 $39,367 $9,004Less: (Provision for) recovery of loan losses1,714 (5,489) (81,740)Less: Impairment of assets(4)(34,634) (14,353) (36,354)Less: Loss on transfer of interest to unconsolidated subsidiary— (7,373) —Less: Stock-based compensation expense(13,314) (19,261) (15,293)Less: Depreciation and amortization(4)(73,571) (71,530) (70,786)Less: Income tax (expense) benefit(4)(3,912) 596 (8,445)Less: Loss on early extinguishment of debt, net(25,369) (33,190) (37,816)Net income (loss)$15,765 $(111,233) $(241,430)

[5] For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the provision for loan losses includes recoveries of previously recorded loan loss reserves of $10.1 million, $63.1 million and $4.6 million, respectively.

[6] The Company's recorded investment in loans as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 also includes accrued interest of $7.0 million and $6.5 million, respectively, which are included in "Accrued interest and operating lease income receivable, net" on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets.

[7] Corporate/Other represents all corporate level and unallocated items including any intercompany eliminations necessary to reconcile to consolidated Company totals.