OPERATING SEGMENTS (Summarized Operating Segment) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 43,327,000	$ 39,996,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	1,261,000	(329,000)
Segment operating expenses	(25,547,000)	(20,189,000)
Restructuring expenses		(365,000)
General and administrative expenses	(2,153,000)	(2,467,000)
Provision for credit losses	(338,000)	(2,962,000)
Depreciation and amortization	(416,000)	(535,000)
Interest expense	(494,000)	(645,000)
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	(214,000)	(74,000)
Other income (expense), net	220,000	158,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(12,271,000)	(13,991,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interest before taxes	2,114,000	(1,074,000)
Assets	2,528,778,000	2,449,768,000	2,636,764,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	(2,700,000)	(3,510,000)
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	0	0
Segment operating expenses	2,654,000	3,457,000
Restructuring expenses		0
General and administrative expenses	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Interest expense	0	0
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	(525,000)	(472,000)
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interest before taxes	(571,000)	(525,000)
Assets	(29,312,000)	(25,747,000)
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	15,449,000	14,780,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	1,261,000	(329,000)
Restructuring expenses	0	(365,000)
General and administrative expenses	(2,153,000)	(2,467,000)
Provision for credit losses	(338,000)	(2,962,000)
Depreciation and amortization	(416,000)	(535,000)
Interest expense	(494,000)	(645,000)
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	(214,000)	(74,000)
Other income (expense), net	189,000	125,000
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Real Estate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	11,340,000	9,716,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	20,000	35,000
Segment operating expenses	(9,440,000)	(7,407,000)
Restructuring expenses		0
General and administrative expenses	(1,404,000)	(94,000)
Provision for credit losses	2,522,000	(103,000)
Depreciation and amortization	(230,000)	(324,000)
Interest expense	(197,000)	(213,000)
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	297,000	129,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	43,000	39,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interest before taxes	2,931,000	1,743,000
Assets	171,843,000	164,897,000
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Financial Fund Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	4,287,000	6,304,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	1,419,000	876,000
Segment operating expenses	(2,528,000)	(4,379,000)
Restructuring expenses		0
General and administrative expenses	9,000	(604,000)
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(20,000)	(37,000)
Interest expense	0	0
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	(214,000)	(74,000)
Other income (expense), net	589,000	538,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interest before taxes	2,123,000	1,748,000
Assets	77,621,000	30,685,000
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Commercial Finance [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	(178,000)	(1,240,000)
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	(178,000)	(1,240,000)
Segment operating expenses	(45,000)	(230,000)
Restructuring expenses		0
General and administrative expenses	0	0
Provision for credit losses	(2,860,000)	(2,859,000)
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Interest expense	(1,000)	(36,000)
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	6,000	0
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interest before taxes	(3,078,000)	(4,365,000)
Assets	8,507,000	26,407,000
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | All Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	0	0
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	0	0
Segment operating expenses	0	0
Restructuring expenses		(365,000)
General and administrative expenses	(758,000)	(1,769,000)
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(166,000)	(174,000)
Interest expense	(296,000)	(396,000)
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	(147,000)	(37,000)
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interest before taxes	(1,367,000)	(2,741,000)
Assets	(68,444,000)	(53,497,000)
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	15,449,000	14,780,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	1,261,000	(329,000)
Segment operating expenses	(12,013,000)	(12,016,000)
Restructuring expenses		(365,000)
General and administrative expenses	(2,153,000)	(2,467,000)
Provision for credit losses	(338,000)	(2,962,000)
Depreciation and amortization	(416,000)	(535,000)
Interest expense	(494,000)	(645,000)
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	(214,000)	(74,000)
Other income (expense), net	745,000	630,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	43,000	39,000
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interest before taxes	609,000	(3,615,000)
Assets	189,527,000	168,492,000
VIE - RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	30,578,000	28,726,000
VIE - RSO [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	30,578,000	28,726,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	0	0
Segment operating expenses	(16,188,000)	(11,630,000)
Restructuring expenses		0
General and administrative expenses	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Interest expense	0	0
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(12,314,000)	(14,030,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interest before taxes	2,076,000	3,066,000
Assets	2,368,563,000	2,307,023,000
External Customers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	42,066,000	40,325,000
External Customers [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	(2,700,000)	(3,510,000)
External Customers [Member] | Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Real Estate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	11,320,000	9,681,000
External Customers [Member] | Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Financial Fund Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	2,868,000	5,428,000
External Customers [Member] | Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Commercial Finance [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	0	0
External Customers [Member] | Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | All Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	0	0
External Customers [Member] | Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	14,188,000	15,109,000
External Customers [Member] | VIE - RSO [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 30,578,000	$ 28,726,000