OPERATING SEGMENTS (Summarized Operating Segment) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 33,485	$ 35,811	$ 76,812	$ 75,807
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	(117)	273	1,144	(56)
Segment operating expenses	(19,076)	(21,208)	(44,623)	(41,397)
Restructuring expenses				(365)
General and administrative expenses	(2,149)	(2,567)	(4,302)	(5,034)
Provision for credit losses	(1,647)	(5,698)	(1,985)	(8,660)
Depreciation and amortization	(489)	(528)	(905)	(1,063)
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary		54,682		54,682
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments			(214)	(74)
Interest expense	(501)	(578)	(995)	(1,223)
Other income (expense), net	114	5,350	334	5,508
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(8,426)	(15,990)	(20,697)	(29,981)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interest before taxes	1,311	49,274	3,425	48,200
Assets	2,563,941	2,417,036	2,563,941	2,417,036	2,636,764
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	(2,725)	(4,235)	(5,425)	(7,745)
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Segment operating expenses	2,663	4,182	5,317	7,639
Restructuring expenses				0
General and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary		0		0
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments			0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	(526)	(476)	(1,051)	(948)
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interest before taxes	(588)	(529)	(1,159)	(1,054)
Assets	(29,831)	(27,769)	(29,831)	(27,769)
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	14,563	13,784	30,012	28,564
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities			1,144	(56)
Restructuring expenses	0	0	0	(365)
General and administrative expenses	(2,149)	(2,567)	(4,302)	(5,034)
Provision for credit losses	(1,647)	(5,698)	(1,985)	(8,660)
Impairment charges				0
Depreciation and amortization	(489)	(528)	(905)	(1,063)
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary	0	54,682	0	54,682
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	0	0	(214)	(74)
Interest expense	(501)	(578)	(995)	(1,223)
Other income (expense), net	83	(148)	272	(23)
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Real Estate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	12,153	10,921	23,493	20,637
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	(331)	(365)	(311)	(330)
Segment operating expenses	(8,896)	(7,386)	(18,336)	(14,793)
Restructuring expenses				0
General and administrative expenses	(815)	(98)	(2,219)	(192)
Provision for credit losses	30	(52)	2,552	(155)
Depreciation and amortization	(317)	(324)	(547)	(648)
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary		0		0
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments			0	0
Interest expense	(207)	(213)	(404)	(426)
Other income (expense), net	173	148	470	277
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(54)	(45)	(11)	(6)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interest before taxes	2,067	2,951	4,998	4,694
Assets	173,539	167,077	173,539	167,077
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Financial Fund Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	2,445	2,991	6,732	9,295
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	249	768	1,668	1,644
Segment operating expenses	(1,694)	(2,994)	(4,222)	(7,373)
Restructuring expenses				0
General and administrative expenses	(331)	(608)	(322)	(1,212)
Provision for credit losses	(199)	0	(199)	0
Depreciation and amortization	(16)	(29)	(36)	(66)
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary		54,682		54,682
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments			(214)	(74)
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	558	455	1,147	993
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interest before taxes	763	54,497	2,886	56,245
Assets	77,580	79,447	77,580	79,447
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Commercial Finance [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	(35)	(128)	(213)	(1,368)
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	(35)	(130)	(213)	(1,370)
Segment operating expenses	219	(118)	174	(348)
Restructuring expenses				0
General and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Provision for credit losses	(1,478)	(5,646)	(4,338)	(8,505)
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary		0		0
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments			0	0
Interest expense	0	(7)	(1)	(43)
Other income (expense), net	1	0	7	0
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interest before taxes	(1,293)	(5,899)	(4,371)	(10,264)
Assets	9,062	20,990	9,062	20,990
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | All Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Segment operating expenses	0	0	0	0
Restructuring expenses				(365)
General and administrative expenses	(1,003)	(1,861)	(1,761)	(3,630)
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(156)	(175)	(322)	(349)
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary		0		0
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments			0	0
Interest expense	(294)	(358)	(590)	(754)
Other income (expense), net	(92)	(241)	(239)	(278)
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interest before taxes	(1,545)	(2,635)	(2,912)	(5,376)
Assets	(68,889)	(74,678)	(68,889)	(74,678)
Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	14,563	13,784	30,012	28,564
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	(117)	273	1,144	(56)
Segment operating expenses	(10,371)	(10,498)	(22,384)	(22,514)
Restructuring expenses				(365)
General and administrative expenses	(2,149)	(2,567)	(4,302)	(5,034)
Provision for credit losses	(1,647)	(5,698)	(1,985)	(8,660)
Depreciation and amortization	(489)	(528)	(905)	(1,063)
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary		54,682		54,682
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments			(214)	(74)
Interest expense	(501)	(578)	(995)	(1,223)
Other income (expense), net	640	362	1,385	992
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(54)	(45)	(11)	(6)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interest before taxes	(8)	48,914	601	45,299
Assets	191,292	192,836	191,292	192,836
VIE - RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	21,647	26,262	52,225	54,988
VIE - RSO [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	21,647	26,262	52,225	54,988
Equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Segment operating expenses	(11,368)	(14,892)	(27,556)	(26,522)
Restructuring expenses				0
General and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Gain on deconsolidation of subsidiary		0		0
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments			0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	5,464	0	5,464
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(8,372)	(15,945)	(20,686)	(29,975)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interest before taxes	1,907	889	3,983	3,955
Assets	2,402,480	2,251,969	2,402,480	2,251,969
External Customers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	33,602	35,538	75,668	75,863
External Customers [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	(2,725)	(4,235)	(5,425)	(7,745)
External Customers [Member] | Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Real Estate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	12,484	11,286	23,804	20,967
External Customers [Member] | Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Financial Fund Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	2,196	2,223	5,064	7,651
External Customers [Member] | Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Commercial Finance [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	0	2	0	2
External Customers [Member] | Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | All Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	0	0	0	0
External Customers [Member] | Consolidated Entity Excluding RSO [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	14,680	13,511	28,868	28,620
External Customers [Member] | VIE - RSO [Member] | Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 21,647	$ 26,262	$ 52,225	$ 54,988