VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES RSO Cash Flow Detail (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended										6 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Mar. 31, 2011	Mar. 31, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012 RSO [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 RSO [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 RSO [Member] Redeemable Preferred Stock Series A [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 RSO [Member] Redeemable Preferred Stock Series A [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 RSO [Member] Redeemable Preferred Stock Series B [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 RSO [Member] Redeemable Preferred Stock Series B [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Reportable Legal Entities [Member] RSO [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Reportable Legal Entities [Member] RSO [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] RSO [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] RSO [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$ (433,000)	$ (2,267,000)	$ 30,211,000	$ (2,382,000)	$ (3,591,000)	$ (517,000)	$ (8,953,000)	$ (1,502,000)	$ (5,315,000)	$ (1,232,000)	$ 971,000	$ (10,455,000)	$ (261,000)	$ (10,972,000)	$ (5,576,000)	$ 25,507,000	$ (14,563,000)	$ (13,451,000)	$ 64,443,000	$ 37,716,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in operating activities:
Provision for loan losses																			16,818,000	13,896,000
Depreciation of investments in real estate and other																			1,838,000	729,000
Amortization of intangible assets																		809,000	4,047,000	3,890,000
Amortization of term facilities																			957,000	570,000
Accretion of net discounts on loans held for investment																			(17,817,000)	(15,588,000)
Accretion of net discounts on securities available-for-sale																			(3,177,000)	(3,698,000)
Amortization of discount on notes of CDOs																			2,470,000	274,000
Amortization of debt issuance costs on notes of CDOs																			4,700,000	3,341,000
Amortization of stock-based compensation																			4,636,000	2,526,000
Amortization of terminated derivative instruments																			227,000	227,000
Accretion of interest-only available-for-sales securities																			(719,000)	0
Deferred income tax benefits																			2,329,000	(399,000)
Purchase of securities, trading																			(8,348,000)	(38,904,000)
Principal payments on securities, trading																			1,027,000	643,000
Proceeds from sales of securities, trading																			33,579,000	18,131,000
Net realized and unrealized gain on investment securities, trading																			(12,435,000)	(837,000)
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities, net																(63,000)	1,198,000		(4,106,000)	(2,643,000)							0	0
Gain on early extinguishment of debt																			(16,699,000)	(3,875,000)
Other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in earnings																74,000			180,000	6,898,000							0
Gain on consolidation																			(2,498,000)	0
Linked Transactions fair value adjustments																			(168,000)	0
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities																(3,439,000)	(10,377,000)		2,709,000	(112,000)							0	0
Minority Interest Equity																			114,000	0
Adjust for impact of imputed interest on VIE accounting																			1,879,000	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Decrease in restricted cash																			(2,062,000)	(5,628,000)
Decrease in interest receivable, net of purchased interest																			987,000	(2,513,000)
Increase in subscriptions receivable																			(1,248,000)	0
Increase in principal paydowns receivable																			(25,465,000)	363,000
Increase in management fee payable																			3,929,000	974,000
Increase in security deposits																			25,000	80,000
Increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities																			7,573,000	15,370,000
(Decrease) increase in accrued interest expense																			(193,000)	1,696,000
Increase in other assets																			(20,003,000)	(520,000)
Subtotal -consolidated VIE -RSO operating activity																			(24,914,000)	(5,109,000)
Change in consolidated VIE -RSO cash for the period																			(42,162,000)	(13,628,000)
Change in cash attributable to operations of consolidated VIE - RSO																			(65,226,000)	(16,165,000)					(67,076,000)	(18,737,000)			1,850,000	2,572,000
Non-cash incentive compensation to RAI																			0	0					1,468,000	430,000			(1,468,000)	(430,000)
Net cash provided by operating activities																			40,997,000	33,037,000
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of loans																			(649,983,000)	(970,309,000)
Purchase of securities available-for-sale																			(119,779,000)	(117,044,000)
Investment in loans - related parties																			0	(10,000,000)
Purchase of loans and investments																			769,762,000	1,072,132,000					(769,762,000)	(1,087,353,000)			0	(15,221,000)
Principal payments received on loans																			570,276,000	424,600,000
Proceeds from sale of loans																			173,378,000	212,042,000
Principal payments on securities available-for-sale																			47,284,000	11,810,000
Proceeds from sale of securities available-for-sale																			28,652,000	13,747,000
Proceeds from sale of real estate held-for-sale																			2,886,000	1,464,000
Principal payments and proceeds from sales received by consolidated VIE - RSO																									822,476,000	663,663,000
Increase in restricted cash of consolidated VIE - RSO																			50,756,000	31,014,000
Investment in unconsolidated entity																			474,000	(4,762,000)
Equity contribution to VIE																			(710,000)	0
Improvement of real estate held-for-sale																			(138,000)	0
Purchase of investments in real estate																			0	(19,299,000)
Distributions from investments in real estate																			1,152,000	0
Improvements in investments in real estate																			(3,878,000)	0
Purchase of intangible asset																			0	(21,213,000)
Principal payments received on loans – related parties																			1,251,000	10,430,000
Investments in real estate assets																			0	(689,000)
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE - RSO																			(1,925,000)	(45,533,000)					(1,849,000)	(45,533,000)			(76,000)	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (excluding eliminations)																			101,621,000	(438,209,000)
Proceeds from borrowings:
Repurchase agreements																			71,121,000	55,852,000
Collateralized debt obligations																			0	323,244,000
Mortgage payable																			0	13,600,000
Payments on borrowings:
Collateralized debt obligations																			(257,905,000)	(28,542,000)
Repurchase of issued bonds																			0	(6,125,000)
Retirement of debt																			(20,365,000)	0
Net borrowings (repayments) of debt by consolidated VIE - RSO																			(207,149,000)	358,029,000
Dividends paid																			(71,876,000)	(67,414,000)					(74,050,000)	(69,869,000)			2,174,000	2,455,000
Net proceeds from issuances of common stock (net of offering costs of $2,165 and $1,263)																			55,502,000	46,347,000
Net proceeds from dividend reinvestment and stock purchase plan (net of offering costs of $19 and $11)																			73,044,000	83,564,000
Proceeds from issuance of redeemable preferred shares, net of offering costs																					16,411,000	0	26,099,000	0
Net proceeds from issuance of stock by consolidated VIE																			171,056,000	129,911,000
Payment of debt issuance costs																			(586,000)	(6,385,000)
Payment of equity to third party sub-note holders																			(3,480,000)	0
Distributions paid on preferred stock																			(613,000)	0
Proceeds from CDO retained notes																			14,366,000	7,114,000
Other consolidated VIE -RSO financing activity																			9,687,000	729,000
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities																			(100,456,000)	418,800,000
(Decrease) increase in cash								3,287,000			(17,788,000)	5,252,000	(18,873,000)	17,310,000	(17,033,000)	(5,062,000)	13,212,000	(14,954,000)	42,162,000	13,628,000
Cash, beginning of year	19,393,000				28,553,000	16,495,000	14,530,000	11,243,000	7,324,000	8,409,000	26,197,000	11,243,000	26,197,000	11,243,000	26,197,000	24,455,000	11,243,000	26,197,000	43,116,000	29,488,000
Cash, end of year		19,393,000			24,455,000	28,553,000	16,495,000	14,530,000	9,164,000	7,324,000	8,409,000	16,495,000	7,324,000	28,553,000	9,164,000	19,393,000	24,455,000	11,243,000	85,278,000	43,116,000
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE:
Interest expense paid in cash																$ (3,889,000)	$ (9,926,000)	$ (9,433,000)	$ 41,369,000	$ 32,596,000