RSO INVESTMENTS IN UNCONSOLIDATED ENTITIES (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended				0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended				0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended						3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012	Jan. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] trust	Mar. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Preferred Shares - Series A [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Preferred Shares - Series B [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Series D Preferred Stock [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Resource Real Estate [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Resource Real Estate [Member]	Jun. 19, 2012 Resource Capital Corp [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member]	Dec. 01, 2009 Resource Capital Corp [Member] RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Interest in LCC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Interest in LCC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Interest in RCT I and RCT II [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Interest in RCT I and RCT II [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Interest in RCT I [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Interest in RCT II [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Jun. 19, 2012 Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member] Property	Mar. 31, 2013 RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Dec. 01, 2009 RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Dec. 01, 2009 RRE VIP Borrower, LLC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member] Resource Real Estate [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Interest in RCT II [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] CVC Global Credit Opportunities Fund, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Jan. 31, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Life Care Funding, LLC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Life Care Funding, LLC [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Jun. 19, 2012 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Varde Investment Partners, LP [Member] Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc Resource Capital Corp [Member]	Jan. 18, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc Resource Capital Corp [Member] Preferred Shares - Series A [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc Resource Capital Corp [Member] Preferred Shares - Series A [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc Resource Capital Corp [Member] Preferred Shares - Series B [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc Resource Capital Corp [Member] Preferred Shares - Series B [Member]	Nov. 16, 2011 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc Resource Capital Corp [Member] Series D Preferred Stock [Member]	Jan. 18, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc Resource Capital Corp [Member] Series A-1 Preferred Stock [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] LEAF Commercial Capital Inc Resource Capital Corp [Member] Series E Preferred Stock [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity contribution to VIE																															$ 2,000,000	$ 2,000,000							$ 3,700,000						$ 3,300,000
Asset management fees percentage (in hundredths)																												1.00%
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	1,261,000	(329,000)		(425,000)	1,071,000										(336,000)					24,000	0			(113,000)	1,100,000									24,000
Investments in unconsolidated entities				48,419,000		45,413,000							2,100,000	36,300,000		1,500,000		774,000	774,000	550,000		526,000		1,700,000		2,300,000								550,000,000	526,000,000		36,400,000	33,100,000
Number of condominium developments purchased by joint venture																							2
Ownership percentage (in hundredths)			10.00%									7.50%				100.00%													100.00%
Shares of stock received (in shares)							31,341	4,872	2,364
Preferred stock, coupon authorized (in hundredths)								8.00%																																		8.00%
Ownership percentage in VIE																														34.40%			7.50%			26.70%	27.50%
Loss on transaction														2,200,000
Shares received in equity method transaction (in shares)																																								31,341	4,872		2,364	3,682	3,323
Accrued Dividends on Preferred Stock Investment																																													207,000
Asset acquisition funding minimum																											3.00%
Asset acquisition funding maximum																											5.00%
Management fees − related party				2,978,000	3,443,000					8,000	12,000
Ownership percentage																3.00%
Number of trusts				2
Related party interest expense																593,000	631,000
Amortization of deferred debt issuance costs																$ 47,000	$ 45,000