OPERATING SEGMENTS (Summarized Operating Segment) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	$ 48,671	$ 42,066
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	631	1,261
Revenues	49,302	43,327
Segment operating expenses	(23,672)	(25,547)
General and administrative expenses	(3,154)	(2,153)
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	(1,208)	(338)
Depreciation and amortization	(451)	(416)
Impairment of available for sale securities		(214)
Interest expense	(483)	(494)
Other income (expense), net	(1,148)	220
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(17,111)	(12,271)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes	2,075	2,114
Total assets	2,509,891	2,528,778	2,318,451
RAI [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	631	1,261
Revenues	20,251
General and administrative expenses	(3,154)
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	(1,208)	(338)
Depreciation and amortization	(451)
Impairment of available for sale securities	0	(214)
Interest expense	(483)
Other income (expense), net	165
RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	31,931
Other income (expense), net	(1,331)
Total assets	2,341,335
Operating Segments [Member] | Real Estate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	13,630	11,320
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	(355)	20
Revenues	13,275	11,340
Segment operating expenses	(8,875)	(9,440)
General and administrative expenses	(1,096)	(1,404)
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	3	2,522
Depreciation and amortization	(308)	(230)
Impairment of available for sale securities		0
Interest expense	(196)	(197)
Other income (expense), net	256	297
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	40	43
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes	3,099	2,931
Total assets	180,902	171,771
Operating Segments [Member] | Financial Fund Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	5,990	2,868
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	1,085	1,419
Revenues	7,075	4,287
Segment operating expenses	(4,389)	(2,528)
General and administrative expenses	(453)	9
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(11)	(20)
Impairment of available for sale securities		(214)
Interest expense	0	0
Other income (expense), net	571	589
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes	2,793	2,123
Total assets	60,047	56,908
Operating Segments [Member] | Commercial Finance [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	(99)	(178)
Revenues	(99)	(178)
Segment operating expenses	(103)	(45)
General and administrative expenses	0	0
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	(1,211)	(2,860)
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Impairment of available for sale securities		0
Interest expense	0	(1)
Other income (expense), net	(2)	6
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes	(1,415)	(3,078)
Total assets	9,861	8,507
Operating Segments [Member] | All Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	0	0
Revenues	0	0
Segment operating expenses	0	0
General and administrative expenses	(1,605)	(758)
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(132)	(166)
Impairment of available for sale securities		0
Interest expense	(287)	(296)
Other income (expense), net	(88)	(147)
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes	(2,112)	(1,367)
Total assets	(82,254)	(75,261)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	168,556	161,925
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RAI [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	19,620	14,188
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	631	1,261
Revenues	20,251	15,449
Segment operating expenses	(13,367)	(12,013)
General and administrative expenses	(3,154)	(2,153)
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	(1,208)	(338)
Depreciation and amortization	(451)	(416)
Impairment of available for sale securities	0	(214)
Interest expense	(483)	(494)
Other income (expense), net	737	745
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	40	43
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes	2,365	609
Total assets	196,072
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	31,931	30,578
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	0	0
Revenues	31,931	30,578
Segment operating expenses	(13,140)	(16,188)
General and administrative expenses	0	0
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Impairment of available for sale securities		0
Interest expense	0	0
Other income (expense), net	(1,331)	0
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(17,151)	(12,314)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes	309	2,076
Total assets	2,341,908
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	(2,880)	(2,700)
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	0	0
Revenues	(2,880)	(2,700)
Segment operating expenses	2,835	2,654
General and administrative expenses	0	0
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Impairment of available for sale securities		0
Interest expense	0	0
Other income (expense), net	(554)	(525)
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes	(599)	(571)
Total assets	(28,089)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | RAI [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Other income (expense), net	(572)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	$ (573)