CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
REVENUES:
Total revenues	$ 153,748	$ 167,631	$ 168,530
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Restructuring expenses		365
General and administrative	10,268	9,792	11,302
Gain on sale of leases and loans			(685)
Impairment charges		2,280
Provision for credit losses	4,265	20,148	11,305
Depreciation and amortization	1,936	2,084	11,675
Costs and expenses	116,679	124,344	130,795
OPERATING INCOME	37,069	43,287	37,735
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Gain on deconsolidation and sale of subsidiaries		54,542	8,749
Loss on extinguishment of debt			(2,190)
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	(214)	(74)
Interest expense	(2,036)	(2,289)	(15,948)
Other income (expense), net	15,576	71,621	(5,661)
Income from continuing operations before taxes	52,645	114,908	32,074
Income tax provision (benefit)	616
Income from continuing operations	52,029	87,189	23,849
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	(2)	(44)	(2,222)
Net income	52,027	87,145	21,627
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders	6,426	24,028	(13,064)
Amounts attributable to common shareholders:
Income (loss) from continuing operations	6,428	24,072	(10,842)
Discontinued operations	(2)	(44)	(2,222)
Net income (loss)	6,426	24,028	(13,064)
Basic earnings (loss) per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.32	$ 1.21	$ (0.55)
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ (0.11)
Net income (loss) (in dollars per share)	$ 0.32	$ 1.21	$ (0.66)
Weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	20,217	19,919	19,674
Diluted earnings (loss) per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.29	$ 1.14	$ (0.55)
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ (0.11)
Net income (loss) (in dollars per share)	$ 0.29	$ 1.14	$ (0.66)
Weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	21,905	20,994	19,674
RAI [Member]
REVENUES:
Real estate (includes revenues of $12,600, $13,956 and $7,103 related to RSO)	57,143
Financial fund management (includes revenues of $1,120, $4,894 and $5,656 related to RSO)	19,773
Commercial finance (includes revenues of $0, $0 and $0 related to RSO)	(341)
Total revenues	76,575
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Real estate	40,612
Financial fund management	10,155
Commercial finance	56
General and administrative	10,268
Gain on sale of leases and loans	0	0	(685)
Impairment charges	0	2,280	0
Provision for credit losses	4,265	20,148	12,104
Depreciation and amortization	1,936
Costs and expenses	67,292
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Gain on deconsolidation and sale of subsidiaries	0	54,542	8,749
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0	(2,190)
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	(214)	(74)	0
Interest expense	(2,036)
Income tax provision (benefit)	1,657	13,117	(3,811)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	(2)	(44)	(2,222)
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(20)	(557)	1,679
RSO [Member]
REVENUES:
Real estate (includes revenues of $12,600, $13,956 and $7,103 related to RSO)	12,600	13,956	7,103
Financial fund management (includes revenues of $1,120, $4,894 and $5,656 related to RSO)	1,120	4,894	5,656
Commercial finance (includes revenues of $0, $0 and $0 related to RSO)	0	0	0
Total revenues	91,007
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Costs and expenses	61,561
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Income tax provision (benefit)	(1,041)	14,602	12,036
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(45,581)	(62,560)	(36,370)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other income (expense), net	(1,675)	52,291	(9,828)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RAI [Member]
REVENUES:
Real estate (includes revenues of $12,600, $13,956 and $7,103 related to RSO)	57,143	45,083	40,172
Financial fund management (includes revenues of $1,120, $4,894 and $5,656 related to RSO)	19,773	18,053	24,090
Commercial finance (includes revenues of $0, $0 and $0 related to RSO)	(341)	(1,659)	23,738
Total revenues	76,575	61,477	88,000
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Real estate	40,612	30,475	26,196
Financial fund management	10,155	12,299	19,646
Commercial finance	56	402	12,897
Restructuring expenses	0	365	0
General and administrative	10,268	9,792	11,302
Gain on sale of leases and loans	0	0	(685)
Impairment charges	0	2,280	0
Provision for credit losses	4,265	20,148	11,305
Depreciation and amortization	1,936	2,084	11,675
Costs and expenses	67,292	77,845	92,336
OPERATING INCOME	9,283
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Gain on deconsolidation and sale of subsidiaries	0	54,542	8,749
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0	(2,190)
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities, net	0	0	321
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	(214)	(74)	0
Interest expense	(2,036)	(2,289)	(15,948)
Other (expense) income	575	112	(760)
Income from continuing operations before taxes	9,849
Income tax provision (benefit)	1,657
Income from continuing operations	8,192
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	(2)
Net income	8,190
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(20)
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders	8,170
Amounts attributable to common shareholders:
Income (loss) from continuing operations	8,172
Discontinued operations	(2)
Net income (loss)	8,170
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RSO [Member]
REVENUES:
Total revenues	91,007	123,698	95,986
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Restructuring expenses		0
General and administrative	0	0	0
Gain on sale of leases and loans			0
Impairment charges		0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Costs and expenses	62,602	63,850	50,103
OPERATING INCOME	29,446
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Gain on deconsolidation and sale of subsidiaries		0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt			0
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0
Other (expense) income	17,007	19,197	3,869
Income from continuing operations before taxes	46,453
Income tax provision (benefit)	0
Income from continuing operations	46,453
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	0
Net income	46,453
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(7,221)
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders	39,232
Amounts attributable to common shareholders:
Income (loss) from continuing operations	39,232
Discontinued operations	0
Net income (loss)	39,232
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
REVENUES:
Total revenues	(13,834)	(17,544)	(15,456)
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Restructuring expenses		0
General and administrative	0	0	0
Gain on sale of leases and loans			0
Impairment charges		0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Costs and expenses	(13,215)	(17,351)	(11,644)
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Gain on deconsolidation and sale of subsidiaries		0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt			0
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0
Other (expense) income	$ 244	$ 133	$ 298