DISCLOSURES REGARDING FAIR VALUES OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS - Balance Sheet Location (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Financial assets [Abstract]
Residential mortgage loans	$ 13,908,104	$ 13,475,874
Interest rate swap agreements at fair value	1,657	5,005
Carrying Amount [Member]
Financial assets [Abstract]
Residential mortgage loans	4,909	6,898
Interest rate swap agreements at fair value	1,657	5,005
Financial liabilities [Abstract]
Repurchase arrangements with initial terms of greater than 120 days, Fair Value	2,128,517	36,299
Unsecured borrowings	100,000	100,000
Interest rate swap agreements	27,034	11,304
Fair Value [Member]
Financial assets [Abstract]
Residential mortgage loans	5,000	7,000
Interest rate swap agreements at fair value	1,657	5,005
Financial liabilities [Abstract]
Repurchase arrangements with initial terms of greater than 120 days, Fair Value	2,128,400	36,300
Unsecured borrowings	100,500	101,000
Interest rate swap agreements	$ 27,034	$ 11,304

Fair value of liability associated with financial asset or other contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 20

-Section 55

-Paragraph 8

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36459792&loc=SL20226003-175313

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34720828&loc=SL20225862-175312

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4B

-Subparagraph (a),(c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35706170&loc=SL5624163-113959

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Fair value, before effects of master netting arrangements, of a financial asset or other contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset. Includes assets elected not to be offset. Excludes assets not subject to a master netting arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34720828&loc=SL20225862-175312

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4B

-Subparagraph (a),(c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35706170&loc=SL5624163-113959

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

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-Section 55

-Paragraph 7

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- Definition

The fair value as of the balance sheet date of firm holdings in mortgages, mortgage backed securities (investment instruments that represent ownership of an undivided interest in a group of mortgages, where principal and interest from the individual mortgages are used to pay investors' principal and interest on the mortgage backed security) and asset-backed securities that are primarily paid from the cash flows of a discrete pool of receivables or other financial assets (such as credit-card receivables), either fixed or revolving, that by their terms convert into cash within a finite time period. Includes both pledged (to counterparties as collateral for financing transactions) and unpledged holdings.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 940

-SubTopic 320

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35711157&loc=d3e42546-110969

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The fair value amount of long-term debt whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission.

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- Definition

Fair value portion of securities that an entity sells and agrees to repurchase at a specified date for a specified price.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 825

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-Section 50

-Paragraph 10

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