INVESTMENT IN UNCONSOLIDATED JOINT VENTURES (Details 2) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2012 item	Dec. 31, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Jun. 30, 2012 Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Essex 81 item	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton Essex 81 item	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Essex 81 NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton Essex 81 NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Essex 81 NERA 40%	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Essex 81 Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton Essex 81 Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Essex 81 Commercial buildings item	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton Essex 81 Commercial buildings item	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Essex Development item	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton Essex Development item	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Essex Development NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton Essex Development NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Essex Development NERA 40%	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Essex Development Commercial buildings item	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton Essex Development Commercial buildings item	Jun. 30, 2012 345 Franklin item	Jun. 30, 2011 345 Franklin item	Nov. 30, 2001 345 Franklin item	Jun. 30, 2012 345 Franklin NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2011 345 Franklin NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2012 345 Franklin NERA 40%	Jun. 30, 2012 345 Franklin Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2011 345 Franklin Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton 1025 item	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton 1025 item	Mar. 02, 2005 Hamilton 1025 item	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton 1025 NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton 1025 NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton 1025 NERA 40%	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton 1025 Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton 1025 Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton 1025 Commercial buildings item	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton 1025 Commercial buildings item	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Bay Sales item	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton Bay Sales item	Apr. 30, 2008 Hamilton Bay Sales item	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Bay Sales NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton Bay Sales NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Bay Sales NERA 40%	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Bay Sales Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton Bay Sales Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Bay Apts item	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton Bay Apts item	Oct. 03, 2005 Hamilton Bay Apts item	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Bay Apts NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton Bay Apts NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Bay Apts NERA 40%	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Bay Apts Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton Bay Apts Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Minuteman item	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton Minuteman item	Sep. 30, 2004 Hamilton Minuteman item	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Minuteman NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton Minuteman NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Minuteman NERA 40%	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton Minuteman Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton Minuteman Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton on Main Apts item	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton on Main Apts item	May 31, 2008 Hamilton on Main Apts item	Aug. 31, 2004 Hamilton on Main Apts item	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton on Main Apts NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton on Main Apts NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton on Main Apts NERA 40%	Jun. 30, 2012 Hamilton on Main Apts Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2011 Hamilton on Main Apts Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2012 Dexter Park item	Jun. 30, 2011 Dexter Park item	Oct. 28, 2009 Dexter Park	Jun. 30, 2012 Dexter Park NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2012 Dexter Park NERA 40%	Jun. 30, 2011 Dexter Park NERA 40%	Jun. 30, 2012 Dexter Park Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2011 Dexter Park Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2012 Total item	Jun. 30, 2011 Total item	Jun. 30, 2012 Total NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2011 Total NERA 50%	Jun. 30, 2012 Total NERA 40%	Jun. 30, 2011 Total NERA 40%	Jun. 30, 2012 Total Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2011 Total Apartments item	Jun. 30, 2012 Total Commercial buildings item	Jun. 30, 2011 Total Commercial buildings item
ASSETS
Rental Properties	$ 96,859,188	$ 98,924,534				$ 9,261,771	$ 9,643,573								$ 2,611,819	$ 2,596,416						$ 8,049,593	$ 8,437,172							$ 5,744,197	$ 5,966,525									$ 1,882,240	$ 1,968,516							$ 7,118,237	$ 7,425,418							$ 7,152,206	$ 7,464,615							$ 21,534,347	$ 22,387,877								$ 110,257,477	$ 115,685,885							$ 173,611,888	$ 181,575,997
Cash & Cash Equivalents	5,181,834	4,050,157	3,992,198	3,245,361		58,404	27,239								24,262	41,041						26,170	58,927							296	473									24,634	33,372							17,487	10,741							18,057	39,368							51,045	17,165								577,044	810,444							797,399	1,038,770
Rent Receivable	446,777	434,252				70,337	19,130									3,050						9,048	8,086							12,082	11,165									2,563	539							5,692	5,972							4,380	5,591							10,138	12,813								132,465	249,184							246,705	315,528
Real Estate Tax Escrow	432,319	401,325				49,442	88,832															21,015	18,847							69,257	56,360																	93,063	83,396							42,103	43,720							107,470	99,613								483,938	604,893							866,288	995,661
Prepaid Expenses & Other Assets	3,654,247	3,866,652				85,426	88,029								1,110	1,085						91,415	80,137							97,825	83,316									161,820	199,773							104,087	89,568							76,573	77,126							273,435	494,172								1,306,813	1,179,042							2,198,503	2,292,248
Financing& Leasing Fees	941,293	919,187				65,493	84,509								1,747	1,048						12,247	20,413							22,159	27,185									4,037	9,102							29,424	35,786							17,934	21,903							18,012	24,873								429,336	488,737							600,388	713,555
Total Assets	122,814,471	125,376,764				9,590,873	9,951,313								2,638,938	2,642,641						8,209,487	8,623,582							5,945,816	6,145,023									2,075,295	2,211,300							7,367,990	7,650,881							7,311,253	7,652,322							21,994,446	23,036,512								113,187,073	119,018,186							178,321,171	186,931,759
LIABILITIES AND PARTNERS' CAPITAL
Mortgage Notes Payable	138,611,294	139,161,612				8,406,631	8,513,163								2,118,990	2,162,000						6,936,102	7,099,329							4,964,768	5,000,000									4,730,815	4,750,000							1,668,000	1,668,000							5,466,352	5,500,000							15,748,668	16,017,627								89,166,547	89,914,000							139,206,873	140,624,120
Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense	2,106,533	2,253,696				61,165	67,948								5,811	5,495						118,416	50,219							49,520	48,582									18,661	16,738							54,146	10,972							85,621	80,605							211,249	225,151								884,807	778,220							1,489,395	1,283,930
Advance Rental Pmts & Security Dep	3,774,349	3,603,708				187,355	183,278															147,570	128,680							85,841	69,315									24,499	20,231							87,189	84,842							68,827	73,317							262,993	258,529								1,919,814	1,819,871							2,784,087	2,638,062
Total Liabilities	144,492,176	146,687,616				8,655,151	8,764,390								2,124,801	2,167,495						7,202,087	7,278,229							5,100,129	5,117,897									1,711,161	1,704,969							4,872,149	4,845,814							5,620,800	5,653,922							16,222,911	16,501,306								91,971,168	92,512,091							143,480,356	144,546,112
Partners Capital	(21,677,705)	(21,310,852)	(20,498,621)	(26,920,567)		935,722	1,186,923	467,861	593,462						514,137	475,146	257,068	237,573				1,007,400	1,345,353		503,700	672,677				845,687	1,027,126		422,844	513,563						364,134	506,331		182,067	253,166				2,495,641	2,805,067		1,247,920	1,402,534				1,690,453	1,998,400		845,227	999,200				5,771,535	6,535,206			2,885,768	3,267,603				21,215,906	26,506,095			8,486,362	10,602,438			34,840,816	42,385,648		7,939,776	8,486,362	10,602,438
Total Liabilities& Capital	122,814,471	125,376,764				9,590,873	9,951,313								2,638,938	2,642,641						8,209,487	8,623,582							5,945,816	6,145,023									2,075,295	2,211,300							7,367,990	7,650,881							7,311,253	7,652,322							21,994,446	23,036,512								113,187,073	119,018,186							178,321,171	186,931,759
Share of partners capital in investments																																																																																	$ 15,298,817	$ 18,542,214
Percentage of ownership interest								50.00%	50.00%	40.00%							50.00%	50.00%	40.00%					50.00%	50.00%	50.00%	40.00%					50.00%	50.00%	50.00%	40.00%								50.00%	50.00%	40.00%					50.00%	50.00%	50.00%	40.00%					50.00%	50.00%	50.00%	40.00%						50.00%	50.00%	50.00%	40.00%					40.00%	50.00%	40.00%	40.00%					50.00%	50.00%	40.00%	40.00%
Total units/ condominiums
Total	120				799	49	49				48	48	1	1	1	1				1	1	40	40	40				40	40	176	176	176				49	49	1	1	48	48	20				48	48	120	120	168				15	15	42	42	42				42	42	148	148		280				148	148	409	409					409	409	1,033	1,033					1,030	1,030	3	3
Units to be retained						49	49								1	1						40	40							49	49	49								48	48									48						42	42							148	148								409	409							786	786
Units to be sold	120																													127	127									120	120																																								247	247
Units sold	105																													127	127	127																105	105																	137								0							232	232
Unsold units	15																																							15	15																																								15	15
Unsold units with deposits for future sale																																									0