REAL ESTATE AFFILIATES (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			0 Months Ended					3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended						0 Months Ended					0 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2013 Equity method investments	Mar. 31, 2012 Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Equity method investments	Mar. 31, 2013 Other Investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Investments	Mar. 31, 2013 Cost basis investments	Mar. 31, 2012 Cost basis investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Cost basis investments	Mar. 31, 2013 Circle T Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Circle T Equity method investments	Mar. 31, 2012 Forest View/Timbermill Apartments Equity method investments	Oct. 31, 2011 HHMK Development, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2013 HHMK Development, LLC Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 HHMK Development, LLC Equity method investments	Mar. 31, 2012 Millennium Waterway Apartments Equity method investments	Mar. 31, 2013 Millennium Waterway Apartments Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Millennium Waterway Apartments Equity method investments	Jul. 05, 2012 Millennium Woodlands Phase II, LLC. acre	Mar. 31, 2013 Millennium Woodlands Phase II, LLC. Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Millennium Woodlands Phase II, LLC. Equity method investments	Mar. 31, 2013 Parcel D Development, LLC Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Parcel D Development, LLC Equity method investments	Mar. 31, 2013 Stewart Title Equity method investments	Mar. 31, 2012 Stewart Title Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Stewart Title Equity method investments	Mar. 31, 2013 Woodlands Sarofim # 1 Equity method investments	Mar. 31, 2012 Woodlands Sarofim # 1 Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Woodlands Sarofim # 1 Equity method investments	Oct. 11, 2011 AlaMoana Condominium Development Project	Oct. 27, 2011 Columbia Parcel D Joint Venture	Mar. 31, 2013 Properties owned by real estate affiliates	Sep. 17, 2012 KR Holdings, LLC	Jun. 14, 2012 KR Holdings, LLC	Mar. 31, 2013 KR Holdings, LLC Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 KR Holdings, LLC Equity method investments	Mar. 31, 2013 KR Holdings, LLC HHMK Development, LLC	Sep. 17, 2012 KR Holdings, LLC Mezzanine loan agreements item	Mar. 31, 2013 KR Holdings, LLC Mezzanine loan agreements
Real Estate Affiliates
Carrying values of the assets associated with the operations of the consolidated VIEs	$ 20,000,000		$ 11,700,000
Carrying values of the liabilities associated with the operations of the consolidated VIEs	2,800,000		1,000,000
Number of local development partners															2
Ownership ratio in a joint venture (as a percent)																																				50.00%
Number of debt instruments																																								2
Amount of borrowings																																								20,000,000
Blended interest rate (as a percent)																																								12.00%
Option to extend, term																																								1 year
Preferred return on capital (as a percent)																																			13.00%
Committed pre-development costs																																			40,000,000					3,000,000
Funded pre-development costs																																									3,000,000
Non-interest bearing predevelopment costs																																									2,000,000
Predevelopment costs	2,700,000																																						5,400,000
Area of land contributed to the joint venture (in acres)																					4.8
Value of the land contributed to joint venture																					15,500,000
Cash contributed by joint venture partner																					3,000,000
Construction loan secured																					37,700,000
Aggregate carrying value of unconsolidated VIEs	9,400,000		7,800,000
Earnings from joint venture	0	0
Investment in Real Estate Affiliates
Economic/Legal ownership (as a percent)												50.00%	50.00%			50.00%	50.00%		100.00%	100.00%		81.43%	81.43%	50.00%	50.00%	50.00%		50.00%	20.00%		20.00%	50.00%	50.00%			50.00%	50.00%	50.00%
Carrying Value	33,646,000		32,179,000	24,951,000		23,402,000	300,000	300,000	8,695,000		8,777,000	9,004,000	9,004,000			1,796,000	1,257,000					2,190,000	2,190,000	5,410,000	4,330,000	3,762,000		3,871,000	2,489,000		2,450,000
Share of Earnings/Dividends	2,733,000	2,677,000		230,000	301,000				2,503,000	2,376,000				4,000				220,000								191,000	59,000		39,000	18,000
Secured debt																																		15,900,000
Share of the entity in secured debt																																		$ 7,900,000