REAL ESTATE AFFILIATES (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended										0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended				0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013 item	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	May 31, 2012 Millennium Waterway Apartments item	Dec. 31, 2013 Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2011 Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2013 Cost basis investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Cost basis investments	Dec. 31, 2011 Cost basis investments	Dec. 31, 2013 Hexalon	Dec. 31, 2011 Circle T Ranch and Power Center Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2013 Circle T Ranch and Power Center Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Circle T Ranch and Power Center Equity method investments	Apr. 19, 2012 Forest View/Timbermill Apartments	Dec. 31, 2012 Forest View/Timbermill Apartments Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2011 Forest View/Timbermill Apartments Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2013 HHMK Development, LLC	Dec. 31, 2013 HHMK Development, LLC Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 HHMK Development, LLC Equity method investments	May 15, 2013 KR Holdings, LLC	Sep. 17, 2012 KR Holdings, LLC	Jun. 14, 2012 KR Holdings, LLC	Dec. 31, 2013 KR Holdings, LLC	Dec. 31, 2013 KR Holdings, LLC Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 KR Holdings, LLC Equity method investments	Sep. 17, 2012 KR Holdings, LLC A & B Properties, Inc.	Sep. 17, 2012 KR Holdings, LLC Mezzanine loan agreements item	Dec. 31, 2013 KR Holdings, LLC Construction loan	Dec. 31, 2012 Millennium Waterway Apartments Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2011 Millennium Waterway Apartments Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2013 Millennium Waterway Apartments Equity method investments	Jul. 05, 2012 Millennium Woodlands Phase II, LLC acre	May 14, 2012 Millennium Woodlands Phase II, LLC item	Dec. 31, 2013 Millennium Woodlands Phase II, LLC Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Millennium Woodlands Phase II, LLC Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2013 Stewart Title Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Stewart Title Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2011 Stewart Title Equity method investments	May 31, 2013 Summerlin Las Vegas Baseball Club	Aug. 31, 2012 Summerlin Las Vegas Baseball Club	Aug. 06, 2012 Summerlin Las Vegas Baseball Club	Aug. 06, 2012 Summerlin Las Vegas Baseball Club Las Vegas 51S LLC	Dec. 31, 2013 Summerlin Las Vegas Baseball Club Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Summerlin Las Vegas Baseball Club Equity method investments	Jul. 11, 2013 The Metropolitan Downtown Columbia Project	Oct. 27, 2011 The Metropolitan Downtown Columbia Project	Dec. 31, 2013 The Metropolitan Downtown Columbia Project Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 The Metropolitan Downtown Columbia Project Equity method investments	Jul. 11, 2013 The Metropolitan Downtown Columbia Project Construction loan	Dec. 31, 2011 The Woodlands Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2013 The Woodlands Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 The Woodlands Equity method investments	Jun. 30, 2011 The Woodlands Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2013 Woodlands Sarofim # 1 Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Woodlands Sarofim # 1 Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2011 Woodlands Sarofim # 1 Equity method investments	Oct. 30, 2012 Bridges at Mint Hill, LLC	Dec. 31, 2013 Properties owned by real estate affiliates	Oct. 04, 2013 Parcel C item acre sqft	Dec. 31, 2013 Parcel C Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Parcel C Equity method investments
Investment in Real Estate Affiliates
Economic/Legal ownership (as a percent)													50.00%	50.00%					50.00%	50.00%					50.00%	50.00%				100.00%		100.00%			81.43%	81.43%	50.00%	50.00%				50.00%		50.00%	50.00%			50.00%	50.00%			100.00%	100.00%	52.50%	20.00%	20.00%					50.00%	50.00%
Carrying Value	$ 61,021,000	$ 32,179,000			$ 57,275,000	$ 23,402,000		$ 3,746,000	$ 8,777,000				$ 9,004,000	$ 9,004,000					$ 13,000	$ 1,257,000					$ 19,764,000										$ 2,174,000	$ 2,190,000	$ 3,843,000	$ 3,871,000						$ 10,636,000	$ 300,000			$ 3,461,000	$ 4,330,000						$ 2,579,000	$ 2,450,000					$ 5,801,000
Share of Earnings/Dividends	14,428,000	3,683,000	8,578,000		11,925,000	1,307,000	4,685,000	2,503,000	2,376,000	3,893,000		(1,000)				4,000	5,000		732,000						9,877,000					407,000	682,000				(74,000)		1,223,000	902,000	204,000					(13,000)							3,731,000				180,000	(6,000)	64,000
Share of distributable cash			1,429,000												8,600,000
Portion of refinanced mortgage proceeds used to acquire partner's interest		2,721,000		6,900,000
Gain from sale											8,500,000
Secured debt																																																											69,200,000
Share of the entity in secured debt																																																											39,000,000
Aggregate carrying value of unconsolidated VIEs	38,400,000	7,800,000
Number of variable interest entities in which entity is primary beneficiary	2
Carrying values of the assets associated with the operations of the consolidated VIEs	31,700,000	28,300,000
Carrying values of the liabilities associated with the operations of the consolidated VIEs	800,000	1,000,000
Amount funded in cash to joint venture																																								10,200,000	300,000																	4,500,000
Economic interest (as a percent)																																																										90.50%
Ownership percentage before acquiring additional interest																																																										79.00%
Area of land contributed to the joint venture (in acres)																																	4.8																											5
Number of units in Class A apartment building to be constructed				314																														314																										437
Area of real estate property to be constructed (in square feet)																																																												31,000
Fair value of the land contributed to joint venture																																	15,500,000													20,300,000														4,000,000
Transaction value of the land contributed to joint venture																																																												23,400,000
Transaction value, per constructed unit of land contributed to joint venture																																														53,500														53,500
Ownership ratio in a joint venture (as a percent)																							50.00%																				100.00%
Number of debt instruments																												2
Aggregate principal amount of debt issued																												20,000,000																						64,100,000
Blended interest rate (as a percent)																												12.00%
Option to extend, term																												1 year
Preferred return, on capital (as a percent)																						13.00%
Maximum share in the profits of joint venture																											3,000,000
Net cash proceeds from sale of condominium rights																					30,800,000
Percentage of in substance real estate sold																					50.00%
Cash contributed by joint venture partner																					16,800,000												3,000,000													13,300,000
Percentage of ownership interest of partners in joint venture																					50.00%																										50.00%
Maximum Facility Amount																													132,000,000
Variable rate basis																													one-month LIBOR																					one-month LIBOR
Interest rate margin (as a percent)																													3.00%																					2.40%
Total assets																								189,000,000
Total liabilities																								135,700,000
Revenues																								131,200,000
Net income																								19,700,000
Deferred profit																		6,900,000
Additional improvements made in the venture																																														16,400,000
Future contribution required in accordance with the loan agreement																																														3,100,000
Distribution of the cash contributed by joint venture partner																																														7,000,000
Net profit recognized on partial sale of joint venture interest																																														700,000
Construction loan secured																																	$ 37,700,000