CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Consolidated Statement of Income) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
REVENUES:
Revenues	$ 43,025,000	$ 47,889,000	$ 119,837,000	$ 123,696,000
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
General and administrative	2,505,000	2,530,000	6,807,000	7,564,000
Provision for credit losses	1,808,000	6,336,000	3,793,000	14,996,000
Depreciation and amortization	413,000	529,000	1,318,000	1,592,000
Costs and expenses	30,219,000	31,651,000	82,034,000	88,170,000
OPERATING INCOME	12,806,000	16,238,000	37,803,000	35,526,000
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments			(214,000)	(74,000)
Interest Expense	(530,000)	(544,000)	(1,525,000)	(1,767,000)
Other income, net	16,897,000	63,000	17,231,000	5,571,000
Other income (expense), net	16,367,000	(621,000)	15,492,000	58,272,000
Income from continuing operations before taxes	29,173,000	15,617,000	53,295,000	93,798,000
Income tax provision (benefit)		(5,000)	(396,000)	20,336,000
Income from continuing operations	27,190,000	15,622,000	49,470,000	73,462,000
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	(8,000)	(2,000)	(38,000)
Net income	27,190,000	15,614,000	49,468,000	73,424,000
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders	3,442,000	(2,267,000)	5,051,000	25,562,000
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	(5,183,000)	(4,988,000)	(10,608,000)	(12,733,000)
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Costs and expenses	(4,861,000)	(4,950,000)	(10,178,000)	(12,589,000)
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other income (expense), net	162,000	34,000	224,000	101,000
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member]
REVENUES:
Real estate	15,950,000	11,292,000	39,443,000	31,929,000
Financial fund management	8,502,000	6,083,000	15,234,000	15,378,000
Commercial Finance Revenue	(30,000)	(167,000)	(243,000)	(1,535,000)
Revenues	24,422,000	17,208,000	54,434,000	45,772,000
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Real estate	11,178,000	7,684,000	29,514,000	22,477,000
Cost Of Financial Fund Management	3,547,000	3,909,000	7,769,000	11,282,000
Cost Of Commercial Finance	75,000	103,000	(99,000)	451,000
General and administrative	2,505,000	2,530,000	6,807,000	7,564,000
Provision for credit losses	1,808,000	6,336,000	3,793,000	14,996,000
Depreciation and amortization	413,000	529,000	1,318,000	1,592,000
Costs and expenses	19,526,000	23,371,000	49,102,000	61,007,000
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	0	0	(214,000)	(74,000)
Interest Expense	(530,000)	(544,000)	(1,525,000)	(1,767,000)
Other income, net	128,000	29,000	400,000	6,000
Other income (expense), net	(402,000)	(655,000)	(1,339,000)	52,707,000
Income tax provision (benefit)	1,261,000	(3,984,000)	(396,000)	13,358,000
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax			(2,000)	(38,000)
Net income			49,468,000	73,424,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(40,000)	36,000	(23,000)	30,000
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
REVENUES:
Real estate	15,950,000		39,443,000
Financial fund management	8,502,000		15,234,000
Commercial Finance Revenue	(30,000)		(243,000)
Revenues	24,422,000		54,434,000
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Real estate	11,178,000		29,514,000
Cost Of Financial Fund Management	3,547,000		7,769,000
Cost Of Commercial Finance	75,000		(99,000)
General and administrative	2,505,000		6,807,000
Provision for credit losses	1,808,000		3,793,000
Depreciation and amortization	413,000		1,318,000
Costs and expenses	19,526,000		49,102,000
OPERATING INCOME	4,896,000		5,332,000
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments			(214,000)
Interest Expense	(530,000)
Other income, net	684,000		2,069,000
Other income (expense), net	154,000		330,000
Income from continuing operations before taxes	5,050,000		5,662,000
Income tax provision (benefit)	1,261,000
Income from continuing operations			6,058,000
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax			(2,000)
Net income	3,789,000		6,056,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(40,000)		(23,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders	3,749,000		6,033,000
VIE - RSO [Member]
REVENUES:
Real estate	4,701,000	2,446,000	9,794,000	9,169,000
Financial fund management	450,000	2,508,000	720,000	4,902,000
Revenues	23,786,000	35,669,000	76,011,000	90,657,000
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Expense from consolidated VIE - RSO	15,554,000	13,230,000	43,110,000	39,752,000
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other income (expense), net	16,607,000	0	16,607,000	5,464,000
Income tax provision (benefit)	722,000	3,979,000	4,221,000	6,978,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(23,708,000)	(17,917,000)	(44,394,000)	(47,892,000)
VIE - RSO [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	23,786,000		76,011,000
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Expense from consolidated VIE - RSO	16,276,000		47,331,000
Costs and expenses	16,276,000		47,331,000
OPERATING INCOME	7,510,000		28,680,000
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other income (expense), net	16,607,000		16,607,000
Income from continuing operations before taxes	24,117,000		45,287,000
Income from continuing operations			45,287,000
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax			0
Net income	24,117,000		45,287,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1,996,000)		(5,107,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders	22,121,000		40,180,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	(5,183,000)		(10,608,000)
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Costs and expenses	(5,583,000)		(14,399,000)
OPERATING INCOME	400,000		3,791,000
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other income (expense), net	(394,000)		(1,445,000)
Income from continuing operations before taxes	6,000		2,346,000
Income from continuing operations			(1,875,000)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax			0
Net income	(716,000)		(1,875,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders	(22,428,000)		(41,162,000)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues	(5,183,000)		(10,608,000)
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Costs and expenses	(4,861,000)		(10,178,000)
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other income (expense), net	162,000		224,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member]
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other income, net	(556,000)		(1,669,000)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | VIE - RSO [Member]
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Expense from consolidated VIE - RSO	(722,000)		(4,221,000)
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Income tax provision (benefit)	722,000		4,221,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	$ (21,712,000)		$ (39,287,000)