CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Consolidating Detail - Cash Flow Statements) (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$ 49,468,000	$ 73,424,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	214,000	74,000
Interest expense	1,525,000	1,767,000
Provision for credit losses	3,793,000	14,996,000
Unrealized gain on trading securities	(774,000)	(1,108,000)
Other Income Expense	15,492,000	58,272,000
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	(2,528,000)	(2,882,000)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	53,295,000	93,798,000
Gain on sale and deconsolidation of subsidiaries		(54,542,000)
Income tax provision (benefit)	(396,000)	20,336,000
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	2,000	38,000
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	18,736,000	(19,218,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash provided by investing activities	206,967,000	94,571,000
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock		(1,385,000)
Net cash used in financing activities	(217,792,000)	(67,853,000)
Operating activities	(371,000)	(910,000)
Net cash used in discontinued operations	(371,000)	(910,000)
Increase in cash	7,540,000	6,590,000
Cash and cash equivalents	19,439,000	19,393,000
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	49,468,000	73,424,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	1,462,000	1,788,000
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	214,000	74,000
Interest expense	1,525,000	1,767,000
Provision for credit losses	3,793,000	14,996,000
Unrealized gain on trading securities	(774,000)	(1,108,000)
Other Income Expense	(1,339,000)	52,707,000
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	(2,528,000)	(2,882,000)
Distributions from unconsolidated entities	3,099,000	2,300,000
Gain on sale of assets	(1,632,000)	(84,000)
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	(4,551,000)	(914,000)
Gain on sale and deconsolidation of subsidiaries	0	(54,542,000)
Income tax provision (benefit)	(396,000)	13,358,000
Gain on the extinguishment of debt		0
Deferred income tax (benefit) provision	(254,000)	13,239,000
Share-based Compensation	942,000	788,000
Trading securities purchases and sales, net	6,445,000	(1,048,000)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	2,000	38,000
Increase (Decrease) in Operating Capital	1,465,000	(1,479,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Payments to Acquire Property, Plant, and Equipment	(1,035,000)	(116,000)
Payments received on real estate loans and real estate	2,049,000	176,000
Investments In Unconsolidated Real Estate Entities	(2,058,000)	(1,481,000)
Principal payments received on leases and loans	8,000	12,000
Subtotal -purchase of loans and investment securities by consolidated VIE -RSO	(2,024,000)	(1,274,000)
Proceeds from sale of loans and investments	0	55,000
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Increase in borrowings	2,000,000	0
Repayments of Debt and Capital Lease Obligations	(2,354,000)	(5,593,000)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	1,253,000	2,131,000
Distributions paid on common stock	(1,194,000)	(1,741,000)
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock	(1,601,000)	(1,385,000)
Other	81,000	(56,000)
Cash and cash equivalents	19,439,000
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	6,056,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	1,462,000
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	214,000
Provision for credit losses	3,793,000
Unrealized gain on trading securities	(1,073,000)
Other Income Expense	330,000
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	(2,528,000)
Distributions from unconsolidated entities	3,099,000
Gain on sale of assets	(1,632,000)
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	(4,551,000)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	5,662,000
Deferred income tax (benefit) provision	(254,000)
Equity-based compensation received	(654,000)
Share-based Compensation	942,000
Trading securities purchases and sales, net	6,445,000
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	2,000
Increase (Decrease) in Operating Capital	1,465,000
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	12,786,000
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Payments to Acquire Property, Plant, and Equipment	(1,035,000)
Payments received on real estate loans and real estate	2,049,000
Investments In Unconsolidated Real Estate Entities	(2,058,000)
Principal payments received on leases and loans	8,000
Subtotal -purchase of loans and investment securities by consolidated VIE -RSO	(2,024,000)
Proceeds from sale of loans and investments	0
Net cash provided by investing activities	(3,060,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Increase in borrowings	2,000,000
Repayments of Debt and Capital Lease Obligations	(2,354,000)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	1,253,000
Distributions paid on common stock	(1,194,000)
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock	(1,601,000)
Other	81,000
Net cash used in financing activities	(1,815,000)
Operating activities	(371,000)
Net cash used in discontinued operations	(371,000)
Increase in cash	7,540,000
Cash and cash equivalents	19,439,000
VIE - RSO [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Other Income Expense	16,607,000	5,464,000
Income tax provision (benefit)	4,221,000	6,978,000
Changes in cash attributable to operations of consolidated VIE- RSO	(38,415,000)	(66,088,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Subtotal -purchase of loans and investment securities by consolidated VIE -RSO	(675,650,000)	(549,826,000)
Principal payments and proceeds from sales received by consolidated VIE - RSO	842,252,000	540,117,000
Increase in restricted cash - consolidated VIE RSO	30,079,000	85,413,000
Other - consolidated VIE - RSO	13,346,000	3,635,000
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Net repayments of debt by consolidated VIE - RSO	(320,834,000)	(128,019,000)
Distributions paid on common stock		(52,688,000)
Dividends paid on common stock of consolidated VIE - RSO	(66,341,000)	(52,688,000)
Net proceeds from issuance of common stock by consolidated VIE - RSO	184,279,000	122,337,000
Other	(13,081,000)	(2,839,000)
VIE - RSO [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	45,287,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Other Income Expense	16,607,000
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	45,287,000
Share-based Compensation	484,000
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	0
Changes in cash attributable to operations of consolidated VIE- RSO	(38,124,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	7,647,000
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Subtotal -purchase of loans and investment securities by consolidated VIE -RSO	(675,650,000)
Principal payments and proceeds from sales received by consolidated VIE - RSO	842,252,000
Proceeds from sale of loans and investments	0
Increase in restricted cash - consolidated VIE RSO	30,079,000
Other - consolidated VIE - RSO	13,318,000
Net cash provided by investing activities	209,999,000
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Net repayments of debt by consolidated VIE - RSO	(320,834,000)
Dividends paid on common stock of consolidated VIE - RSO	(68,010,000)
Net proceeds from issuance of common stock by consolidated VIE - RSO	184,279,000
Other	(13,081,000)
Net cash used in financing activities	(217,646,000)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	(1,875,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Other Income Expense	(1,445,000)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest	2,346,000
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	0
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(1,697,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash provided by investing activities	28,000
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Net cash used in financing activities	1,669,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Unrealized gain on trading securities	299,000
Equity-based compensation received	654,000
Share-based Compensation	(484,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Cash and cash equivalents	0
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | VIE - RSO [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Income tax provision (benefit)	4,221,000
Changes in cash attributable to operations of consolidated VIE- RSO	(291,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Other - consolidated VIE - RSO	28,000
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Dividends paid on common stock of consolidated VIE - RSO	$ 1,669,000