Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 126,804	$ 115,926
Accounts receivable	3,378	3,114
Accounts receivable — related parties	19,504	15,612
Notes receivable	43,391	7,938
Notes receivable — related parties	40,101	33,269
Real estate, net	111,517	115,880
Investments in joint ventures ($50,995,000 and $51,382,000 carried at fair value as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively)	380,563	343,367
Loan pool participations	102,854	89,951
Marketable securities	10,265	23,005
Other assets	19,955	20,749
Goodwill	23,965	23,965
Total assets	882,297	792,776
Liabilities
Accounts payable	1,306	1,798
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	29,129	24,262
Accrued salaries and benefits	5,600	14,578
Deferred tax liability	19,610	18,437
Senior notes payable	249,425	249,385
Mortgage loans payable	30,748	30,748
Junior subordinated debentures	40,000	40,000
Total liabilities	375,818	379,208
Cumulative Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value: 1,000,000 shares authorized $1,000 per share liquidation preference
Common stock, $0.0001 par value: 125,000,000 shares authorized, 64,789,646 and 52,989,646 shares issued and 63,772,598 and 51,825,998 shares outstanding as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively	6	5
Additional paid-in capital	514,586	407,335
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)	(11,583)	9,708
Accumulated other comprehensive income	11,786	5,035
Common stock held in treasury, at cost, $0.0001 par value, 1,017,048 and 1,163,648 held at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively	(9,856)	(11,848)
Total Kennedy Wilson Holdings, Inc. shareholders' equity	504,939	410,235
Noncontrolling interests	1,540	3,333
Total equity	506,479	413,568
Total liabilities and equity	882,297	792,776
6.00% Series A, 100,000 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, mandatorily convertible on May 19, 2015 [Member]
Cumulative Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value: 1,000,000 shares authorized $1,000 per share liquidation preference
Cumulative preferred stock
6.45% Series B, 32,550 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, mandatorily convertible on November 3, 2018 [Member]
Cumulative Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value: 1,000,000 shares authorized $1,000 per share liquidation preference
Cumulative preferred stock