CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS (Fees From Unconsolidated Investment Entities) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2012
Commercial Finance, Four Investment Entities [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Amount waived of the fund management fees from commercial finance investment entities	$ 483		$ 1,100		$ 1,900		$ 3,800
Real Estate Investment Entities [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities	5,366	[1]	4,405	[1]	13,635	[1]	12,862	[1]
Discounts recorded	37		57		651		185
Financial Fund Management Investment Entities [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fees from unconsolidated investment entities	786		765		2,294		2,468
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	2,779		4,181		10,374		11,521
Dividends paid	557		510		1,647		1,646
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	926		1,134		3,300		2,731
CVC Credit Partners, L.P. [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	307		0		900		0
Resource Real Estate Opportunity REIT Inc [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Dividends paid	24		14		57		14
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	197		150		476		785
LEAF [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	58		84		174		226
Payment for sub-servicing the commercial finance investment partnerships	(243)		(585)		(928)		(1,696)
Payment for rent and related expenses	(200)		(193)		(596)		(497)
1845 Walnut Associates Ltd. [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
1845 Walnut Associates Ltd. – payment of rent and operating expenses	(33)		(155)		(344)		(469)
Property Management Fee Revenue	75		0		117		0
Brandywine Construction & Management, Inc. (BCMI) [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Payments for Property Management	(70)		(69)		(167)		(167)
Atlas Energy, L.P. [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	53		160		338		478
Ledgewood P.C. [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Ledgewood P.C. – payment for legal services	(43)		(239)		(157)		(508)
Graphic Images, LLC [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Graphic Images, LLC – payment for printing services	(15)		(34)		(66)		(136)
The Bancorp, Inc. [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Reimbursement of costs and expenses	28		32		84		106
9 Henmar LLC [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
9 Henmar, LLC – payment of broker/consulting fees	$ (17)		$ (20)		$ (39)		$ (42)

[1] Includes discounts recorded by the Company of $37,000 and $651,000 recorded in the three and nine months ended June 30, 2013, respectively, and $57,000 and $185,000 in the three and nine months ended June 30, 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 nine months ended June 30, 2013, the Company waived $483,000 and $1.9 million, respectively, and $1.1 million and $3.8 million during the three and nine months ended ended June 30, 2012 , respectively, of fund management fees from its commercial finance investment entities.