REAL ESTATE AFFILIATES (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended			0 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		0 Months Ended				9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	9 Months Ended				0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended						3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			0 Months Ended			0 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	May 31, 2012 Millennium Waterway Apartments item	Sep. 30, 2013 Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2012 Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2013 Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2012 Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2013 Cost basis investments	Sep. 30, 2012 Cost basis investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Cost basis investments	May 15, 2013 KR Holdings, LLC	Sep. 17, 2012 KR Holdings, LLC	Jun. 14, 2012 KR Holdings, LLC	Sep. 30, 2013 KR Holdings, LLC Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 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 List Island Properties, LLC	Sep. 17, 2012 KR Holdings, LLC Mezzanine loan agreements item	Sep. 17, 2013 KR Holdings, LLC Mezzanine loan agreements	Sep. 30, 2013 KR Holdings, LLC Construction loan	Apr. 19, 2012 Forest View/Timbermill Apartments	Sep. 30, 2012 Forest View/Timbermill Apartments Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2012 Millennium Waterway Apartments Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 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	May 14, 2012 Millennium Woodlands Phase II, LLC. item	Sep. 30, 2013 Millennium Woodlands Phase II, LLC. Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2013 Millennium Woodlands Phase II, LLC. Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Millennium Woodlands Phase II, LLC. 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	Sep. 30, 2013 Summerlin Las Vegas Baseball Club Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2013 Summerlin Las Vegas Baseball Club Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Summerlin Las Vegas Baseball Club Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2013 Circle T Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Circle T Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2013 Parcel D Development, LLC Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Parcel D Development, LLC Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2013 Stewart Title Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2012 Stewart Title Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2013 Stewart Title Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2012 Stewart Title Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Stewart Title Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2013 HHMK Development Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2013 HHMK Development Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 HHMK Development Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2013 Woodlands Sarofim # 1 Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2012 Woodlands Sarofim # 1 Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2013 Woodlands Sarofim # 1 Equity method investments	Sep. 30, 2012 Woodlands Sarofim # 1 Equity method investments	Dec. 31, 2012 Woodlands Sarofim # 1 Equity method investments	Jul. 11, 2013 Columbia Parcel D Joint Venture	Sep. 30, 2013 Columbia Parcel D Joint Venture	Oct. 27, 2011 Columbia Parcel D Joint Venture	Jul. 11, 2013 Columbia Parcel D Joint Venture Construction loan	Sep. 30, 2013 Properties owned by real estate affiliates
Real Estate Affiliates
Carrying values of the assets associated with the operations of the consolidated VIEs	$ 41,200,000		$ 41,200,000		$ 28,300,000
Carrying values of the liabilities associated with the operations of the consolidated VIEs	3,300,000		3,300,000		1,000,000
Ownership ratio in a joint venture (as a percent)																	50.00%																						100.00%
Number of debt instruments																							2
Amount of borrowings																							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	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
Additional improvements made in the venture																																																												16,400,000
Future contribution required in accordance with the loan agreement																																																												3,100,000
Amount funded in cash to joint venture																																				10,200,000	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%
Area of land contributed to the joint venture (in acres)																															4.8
Fair value of the land contributed to joint venture																															15,500,000																													20,300,000
Distribution of the cash contributed by joint venture partner																																																												7,000,000
Construction loan secured																															37,700,000
Aggregate carrying value of unconsolidated VIEs	33,800,000		33,800,000		8,100,000
Number of units in Class A multi-family unit in The Woodlands Town Center to be constructed																																314
Investment in Real Estate Affiliates
Economic/Legal ownership (as a percent)																		50.00%	50.00%	50.00%									100.00%	100.00%			81.43%	81.43%	81.43%			50.00%		50.00%	50.00%	50.00%	50.00%	50.00%	50.00%	50.00%	50.00%		50.00%		50.00%	50.00%	50.00%	50.00%	20.00%		20.00%		20.00%
Carrying Value	57,673,000		57,673,000		32,179,000		49,118,000		49,118,000		23,402,000	8,555,000		8,777,000				16,762,000	16,762,000														2,160,000	2,160,000	2,190,000					10,870,000	10,870,000	300,000	9,004,000	9,004,000	3,873,000	4,330,000	3,769,000		3,769,000		3,871,000	110,000	110,000	1,257,000	2,570,000		2,570,000		2,450,000
Share of Earnings/Dividends	3,594,000	310,000	12,034,000	3,432,000			3,594,000	310,000	9,531,000	1,056,000		2,503,000	2,376,000					2,716,000	7,907,000								4,000	406,000					(59,000)	(59,000)						220,000	220,000						382,000	324,000	899,000	640,000		290,000	443,000		45,000	(14,000)	121,000	6,000
Number of units acquired in real estate property						393
Portion of refinanced mortgage proceeds used to acquire partner's interest						6,900,000
Non-recourse mortgage assumed						55,600,000
Term of debt instrument						10 years
Interest rate (as a percent)						3.75%
Total assets consolidated into financial statements at fair value as of the acquisition date						78,600,000
Total liabilities consolidated into financial statements at fair value as of the acquisition date						56,400,000
Ownership interest (as a percent)						100.00%
Secured debt																																																																61,600,000
Share of the entity in secured debt																																																																33,600,000
Share of distributable cash				8,579,000																						8,600,000
Net profit recognized on partial sale of joint venture interest																																																												700,000
Contribution made in accordance with the loan agreement																																																													$ 1,700,000