Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Statements of Cash Flows (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	$ 100,044	$ 55,244
Cash flows from investing activities:
Sale of investment securities	174,253	82,649
Purchase of investment securities	(312,919)	(129,483)
Proceeds from sale or liquidation of long-term investments	549	75
Purchase of long-term investments	(12,000)	(5,000)
Investments in real estate ventures	(29,378)	(45,977)
Purchase of subsidiaries	250
Investments in consolidated real estate businesses	0	(7,697)
Distributions from real estate ventures	5,540	2,463
Increase in cash surrender value of life insurance policies	(435)	(470)
Decrease (increase) in restricted assets	(1,108)	(553)
Repayments of notes receivable	933	9,460
Issuance of notes receivable	(250)	0
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets	4	11
Capital expenditures	(20,746)	(8,686)
Net cash used in investing activities	(195,807)	(103,208)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt issuance	413,918	454,200
Financing costs	(12,360)	(11,750)
Repayments of debt	(10,305)	(420,710)
Borrowings under revolver	645,894	723,578
Repayments on revolver	(673,866)	(736,007)
Capital contributions received	0	0
Intercompany dividends paid	0	0
Dividends and distributions on common stock	(122,051)	(107,302)
Distributions to non-controlling interest	(4,861)
Proceeds from exercise of Vector options	4,407	528
Tax benefit of options exercised	937	33
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	241,713	(97,430)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	145,950	(145,394)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	234,466	405,855
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	380,416	260,461
Parent/Issuer [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	23,189	44,750
Cash flows from investing activities:
Sale of investment securities	174,253	76,067
Purchase of investment securities	(310,934)	(117,982)
Proceeds from sale or liquidation of long-term investments	500	0
Purchase of long-term investments	(12,000)	(5,000)
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Purchase of subsidiaries	0
Investments in consolidated real estate businesses		0
Distributions from real estate ventures	0	0
Increase in cash surrender value of life insurance policies	0	(20)
Decrease (increase) in restricted assets	188	5
Repayments of notes receivable	35,933	9,460
Issuance of notes receivable	(35,000)
Investments in subsidiaries	(49,834)	(72,962)
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets	0	0
Capital expenditures	(11)	(2,320)
Net cash used in investing activities	(196,905)	(112,752)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt issuance	408,750	450,000
Financing costs	(12,360)	(11,750)
Repayments of debt	0	(415,000)
Borrowings under revolver	0	0
Repayments on revolver	0	0
Capital contributions received	0	0
Intercompany dividends paid	0	0
Dividends and distributions on common stock	(122,051)	(107,302)
Distributions to non-controlling interest	0
Proceeds from exercise of Vector options	4,407	528
Tax benefit of options exercised	937	33
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	279,683	(83,491)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	105,967	(151,493)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	151,342	401,344
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	257,309	249,851
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	98,319	127,382
Cash flows from investing activities:
Sale of investment securities	0	6,582
Purchase of investment securities	(1,985)	(11,501)
Proceeds from sale or liquidation of long-term investments	0	0
Purchase of long-term investments	0	0
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Purchase of subsidiaries	0
Investments in consolidated real estate businesses		0
Distributions from real estate ventures	0	0
Increase in cash surrender value of life insurance policies	(435)	(450)
Decrease (increase) in restricted assets	(607)	(558)
Repayments of notes receivable	0	0
Issuance of notes receivable	0
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets	4	11
Capital expenditures	(15,121)	(5,813)
Net cash used in investing activities	(18,144)	(11,729)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt issuance	40,168	1,120
Financing costs	0	0
Repayments of debt	(41,485)	(5,604)
Borrowings under revolver	645,894	723,578
Repayments on revolver	(673,866)	(736,007)
Capital contributions received	10,800	13,250
Intercompany dividends paid	(54,000)	(105,882)
Dividends and distributions on common stock	0	0
Distributions to non-controlling interest	0
Proceeds from exercise of Vector options	0	0
Tax benefit of options exercised	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(72,489)	(109,545)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	7,686	6,108
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	11,812	3,776
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	19,498	9,884
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	53,475	1,524
Cash flows from investing activities:
Sale of investment securities	0	0
Purchase of investment securities	0	0
Proceeds from sale or liquidation of long-term investments	49	75
Purchase of long-term investments	0	0
Investments in real estate ventures	(29,378)	(45,977)
Purchase of subsidiaries	250
Investments in consolidated real estate businesses		(7,697)
Distributions from real estate ventures	5,540	2,463
Increase in cash surrender value of life insurance policies	0	0
Decrease (increase) in restricted assets	(689)	0
Repayments of notes receivable	0	0
Issuance of notes receivable	(250)
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets	0	0
Capital expenditures	(5,614)	(553)
Net cash used in investing activities	(30,592)	(51,689)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt issuance	0	3,080
Financing costs	0	0
Repayments of debt	(3,820)	(106)
Borrowings under revolver	0	0
Repayments on revolver	0	0
Capital contributions received	39,034	59,712
Intercompany dividends paid	(20,939)	(12,530)
Dividends and distributions on common stock	0	0
Distributions to non-controlling interest	(4,861)
Proceeds from exercise of Vector options	0	0
Tax benefit of options exercised	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	9,414	50,156
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	32,297	(9)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	71,312	735
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	103,609	726
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	(74,939)	(118,412)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Sale of investment securities	0	0
Purchase of investment securities	0	0
Proceeds from sale or liquidation of long-term investments	0	0
Purchase of long-term investments	0	0
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Purchase of subsidiaries	0
Investments in consolidated real estate businesses		0
Distributions from real estate ventures	0	0
Increase in cash surrender value of life insurance policies	0	0
Decrease (increase) in restricted assets	0	0
Repayments of notes receivable	(35,000)	0
Issuance of notes receivable	35,000
Investments in subsidiaries	49,834	72,962
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets	0	0
Capital expenditures	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	49,834	72,962
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt issuance	(35,000)	0
Financing costs	0	0
Repayments of debt	35,000	0
Borrowings under revolver	0	0
Repayments on revolver	0	0
Capital contributions received	(49,834)	(72,962)
Intercompany dividends paid	74,939	118,412
Dividends and distributions on common stock	0	0
Distributions to non-controlling interest	0
Proceeds from exercise of Vector options	0	0
Tax benefit of options exercised	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	25,105	45,450
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 0	$ 0