CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS (Fees From Unconsolidated Investment Entities) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013		Mar. 31, 2012		Mar. 31, 2013		Mar. 31, 2012
Commercial Finance, Four Investment Entities [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Amount waived of the fund management fees from commercial finance investment entities	$ 618		$ 1,200		$ 1,400		$ 2,700
Real Estate Investment Entities [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities	4,252	[1]	4,689	[1]	8,269	[1]	8,457	[1]
Discounts recorded	133		52		614		128
Financial Fund Management Investment Entities [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities	748		853		1,508		1,703
Commercial Finance Investment Entities [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities	0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Resource Capital Corp [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Management, incentive and other fees	2,746		3,510		7,595		7,340
Dividends paid	556		505		1,090		1,136
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	1,214		892		2,374		1,597
CVC Credit Partners, L.P. [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	377		0		593		0
Resource Real Estate Opportunity REIT Inc [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Dividends paid	33		0		33		0
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	204		530		279		635
LEAF [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	57		82		116		142
Payment for sub-servicing the commercial finance investment partnerships	(303)		(706)		(685)		(1,111)
Payment for rent and related expenses	(199)		(184)		(396)		(304)
1845 Walnut Associates Ltd. [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
1845 Walnut Associates Ltd. – payment of rent and operating expenses	(157)		(208)		(311)		(314)
Brandywine Construction & Management, Inc. (BCMI) [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payments for Property Management	(43)		(39)		(97)		(98)
Atlas Energy, L.P. [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	141		149		285		318
Ledgewood P.C. [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Ledgewood P.C. – payment for legal services	(61)		(114)		(114)		(269)
Graphic Images, LLC [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Graphic Images, LLC – payment for printing services	(24)		(94)		(51)		(102)
The Bancorp, Inc. [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	28		29		56		74
9 Henmar LLC [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
9 Henmar, LLC – payment of broker/consulting fees	$ (3)		$ (4)		$ (22)		$ (22)

[1] Includes discounts recorded by the Company of $133,000 and $614,000 recorded in the three months and six month ended March 31, 2013, respectively, and $52,000 and $128,000 in the three and six months ended March 31, 2012, in connection with management fees from its real estate investment entities that are expected to be received in future periods.

[2] During the three and six months ended March 31, 2013, the Company waived $618,000 and $1.4 million, respectively, and $1.2 million and $2.7 million during the three and six months ended March 31, 2012 , respectively, of fund management fees from its commercial finance investment entities.