CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (USD $) Share data in Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
REVENUES:
Total revenues	$ 53,115,000	$ 33,485,000	$ 102,417,000	$ 76,812,000
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
General and administrative	2,729,000	2,149,000	5,883,000	4,302,000
Provision for credit losses	1,575,000	1,647,000	2,783,000	1,985,000
Depreciation and amortization	465,000	489,000	916,000	905,000
Costs and expenses	33,584,000	23,361,000	62,069,000	51,815,000
OPERATING INCOME	19,531,000	10,124,000	40,348,000	24,997,000
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments				(214,000)
Interest expense	(497,000)	(501,000)	(980,000)	(995,000)
Other income (expense), net	2,411,000	(387,000)	780,000	(875,000)
Income from continuing operations before taxes	21,942,000	9,737,000	41,128,000	24,122,000
Income tax provision (benefit)	1,735,000	226,000	2,820,000
Income from continuing operations	20,207,000	9,511,000	38,308,000	22,280,000
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	0	(2,000)
Net income	20,207,000	9,511,000	38,308,000	22,278,000
Net income attributable to common shareholders	2,718,000	1,113,000	3,708,000	1,609,000
Amounts attributable to common shareholders:
Income from continuing operations	2,718,000	1,113,000	3,708,000	1,611,000
Discontinued operations	0	0	0	(2,000)
Net income	2,718,000	1,113,000	3,708,000	1,609,000
Basic earnings per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.13	$ 0.05	$ 0.18	$ 0.08
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ 0.00
Net income (in dollars per share)	$ 0.13	$ 0.05	$ 0.18	$ 0.08
Weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	20,386	20,297	20,320	20,219
Diluted earnings per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.12	$ 0.05	$ 0.17	$ 0.07
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ 0.00
Net income (in dollars per share)	$ 0.12	$ 0.05	$ 0.17	$ 0.07
Weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	22,032	22,106	22,031	21,969
RAI [Member]
REVENUES:
Real estate (includes revenues of $2,302, $2,805, $4,985 and $5,093 related to RSO)	13,448,000	12,153,000	26,723,000	23,493,000
Financial fund management (includes revenues of $753, $(111), $960 and $270 related to RSO)	8,141,000	2,445,000	15,216,000	6,732,000
Commercial finance (includes no revenue related to RSO)	(42,000)	(35,000)	(141,000)	(213,000)
Total revenues	21,547,000	14,563,000	41,798,000	30,012,000
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Real estate	9,105,000	8,896,000	17,980,000	18,336,000
Financial fund management	2,779,000	1,694,000	7,168,000	4,222,000
Commercial finance	123,000	(219,000)	226,000	(174,000)
General and administrative	2,729,000	2,149,000	5,883,000	4,302,000
Provision for credit losses	1,575,000	1,647,000	2,783,000	1,985,000
Depreciation and amortization	465,000	489,000	916,000	905,000
Costs and expenses	16,776,000	14,656,000	34,956,000	29,576,000
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	370,000	0	370,000	0
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	0	0	0	(214,000)
Interest expense	(497,000)	(501,000)	(980,000)	(995,000)
Other (expense) income	18,000	83,000	183,000	272,000
Income tax provision (benefit)	2,181,000	(1,511,000)	3,250,000	(1,657,000)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax			0	(2,000)
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(84,000)	(26,000)	(44,000)	17,000
RSO [Member]
REVENUES:
Real estate (includes revenues of $2,302, $2,805, $4,985 and $5,093 related to RSO)	2,302,000	2,805,000	4,985,000	5,093,000
Financial fund management (includes revenues of $753, $(111), $960 and $270 related to RSO)	753,000	(111,000)	960,000	270,000
Commercial finance (includes no revenue related to RSO)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	34,608,000	21,647,000	66,539,000	52,225,000
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Costs and expenses	19,861,000	11,368,000	32,985,000
Operating Expenses	19,861,000		32,985,000	27,556,000
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other (expense) income	2,509,000	0	1,178,000	0
Income tax provision (benefit)	(446,000)	1,737,000	(430,000)	3,499,000
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(17,405,000)	(8,372,000)	(34,556,000)	(20,686,000)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other income (expense), net	(109,000)	(418,000)	(427,000)	(937,000)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RAI [Member]
REVENUES:
Real estate (includes revenues of $2,302, $2,805, $4,985 and $5,093 related to RSO)	13,448,000	12,153,000	26,723,000
Financial fund management (includes revenues of $753, $(111), $960 and $270 related to RSO)	8,141,000	2,445,000	15,216,000
Commercial finance (includes no revenue related to RSO)	(42,000)	(35,000)	(141,000)
Total revenues	21,547,000	14,563,000	41,798,000	30,012,000
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Real estate	9,105,000	8,896,000	17,980,000
Financial fund management	2,779,000	1,694,000	7,168,000
Commercial finance	123,000	(219,000)	226,000
General and administrative	2,729,000	2,149,000	5,883,000	4,302,000
Provision for credit losses	1,575,000	1,647,000	2,783,000	1,985,000
Depreciation and amortization	465,000	489,000	916,000	905,000
Costs and expenses	16,776,000	14,656,000	34,956,000
OPERATING INCOME	4,771,000	(93,000)	6,842,000
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	370,000		370,000
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments			0	(214,000)
Interest expense	(497,000)	(501,000)	(980,000)	(995,000)
Income from continuing operations before taxes	5,234,000	46,000	7,559,000
Income tax provision (benefit)	2,181,000	(1,511,000)	3,250,000
Net income	3,053,000	1,557,000	4,309,000
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(84,000)	(26,000)	(44,000)
Net income attributable to common shareholders	2,969,000	1,531,000	4,265,000
Amounts attributable to common shareholders:
Income from continuing operations		1,531,000
Discontinued operations		0
Net income	2,969,000	1,531,000	4,265,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RSO [Member]
REVENUES:
Total revenues	34,608,000	21,647,000	66,539,000	52,225,000
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
General and administrative	0	0	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Costs and expenses	19,415,000	13,105,000	32,555,000
Operating Expenses	19,415,000		32,555,000
OPERATING INCOME	15,193,000	8,542,000	33,984,000
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments				0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations before taxes	17,702,000	8,542,000	35,162,000
Income tax provision (benefit)	0	0	0
Net income	17,702,000	8,542,000	35,162,000
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(3,025,000)	(1,800,000)	(5,369,000)
Net income attributable to common shareholders	14,677,000	6,742,000	29,793,000
Amounts attributable to common shareholders:
Income from continuing operations		6,742,000
Discontinued operations		0
Net income	14,677,000	6,742,000	29,793,000
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
REVENUES:
Total revenues	(3,040,000)	(2,725,000)	(5,920,000)	(5,425,000)
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Costs and expenses	(3,053,000)	(2,663,000)	(5,872,000)	(5,317,000)
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other (expense) income	$ 11,000	$ 31,000	$ 29,000	$ 62,000