CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Payments for (Proceeds from) Loans Receivable	$ (2,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	38,308,000	22,278,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	992,000
Provision for credit losses	2,783,000	1,985,000
Unrealized gains on trading securities	(120,000)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	(1,678,000)	(1,144,000)
Distributions from unconsolidated entities	3,805,000
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	(832,000)
Gain on sale of assets	(370,000)
Deferred income tax provision	3,250,000
Equity-based compensation issued	845,000
Trading securities purchases and sales, net	(3,154,000)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	(12,605,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	49,853,000	(35,793,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	(176,000)
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated real estate entities	(1,194,000)
Purchase of loans and investments	(1,318,000)
Proceeds from sale of loans and investments	721,000
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(211,988,000)	88,199,000
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Increase in borrowings	2,500,000
Principal payments on borrowings	(2,706,000)
Dividends paid	(1,964,000)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	1,550,000
Repurchases of common stock	(2,083,000)
Increase in restricted cash	(84,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	154,140,000	(51,637,000)
Decrease in cash	(7,995,000)	274,000
Cash, beginning of year	19,853,000	11,899,000
Cash, end of period	11,858,000	12,173,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	(1,163,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Unrealized gains on trading securities	(22,000)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	0	0
Distributions from unconsolidated entities	0
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	95,000
Gain on sale of assets	0
Deferred income tax provision	0
Equity-based compensation issued	0
Trading securities purchases and sales, net	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	0
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income of consolidated VIE - RSO	(54,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(1,144,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	0
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated real estate entities	0
Purchase of loans and investments	0
Proceeds from sale of loans and investments	0
Principal payments and proceeds from sales of loans and securities by consolidated VIE - RSO	0
Increase (decrease) in restricted cash of consolidated VIE - RSO	0
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE - RSO	(391,000)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(391,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Increase in borrowings	0
Principal payments on borrowings	391,000
Net borrowings (repayments) of debt by consolidated VIE - RSO	0
Dividends paid	0
Dividends paid on common stock by consolidated VIE - RSO	1,144,000
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	0
Other	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	1,535,000
Decrease in cash	0
Cash, beginning of year	0
Cash, end of period	0
RAI [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Payments for (Proceeds from) Loans Receivable	2,000	3,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	992,000	996,000
Provision for credit losses	2,783,000	1,985,000
Unrealized gains on trading securities	(120,000)	(484,000)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	(1,678,000)	(1,144,000)
Distributions from unconsolidated entities	3,805,000	1,566,000
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	(832,000)	(1,716,000)
Gain on sale of assets	(370,000)	(1,623,000)
Deferred income tax provision	3,250,000	(1,657,000)
Equity-based compensation issued	845,000	610,000
Trading securities purchases and sales, net	(3,154,000)	(618,000)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	(12,605,000)	2,007,000
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	(176,000)	(474,000)
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated real estate entities	(1,194,000)	(997,000)
Purchase of loans and investments	(1,318,000)	(1,522,000)
Proceeds from sale of loans and investments	721,000	0
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Increase in borrowings	2,500,000	2,000,000
Principal payments on borrowings	(2,706,000)	(2,243,000)
Dividends paid	(1,964,000)	(1,183,000)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	1,550,000	1,253,000
Repurchases of common stock	(2,083,000)	(54,000)
Other	0	228,000
Increase in restricted cash		0
Cash, beginning of year	19,853,000
Cash, end of period	11,858,000
RAI [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Payments for (Proceeds from) Loans Receivable	(2,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	4,309,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	992,000
Provision for credit losses	2,783,000	1,985,000
Unrealized gains on trading securities	(98,000)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	(1,678,000)	(1,144,000)
Distributions from unconsolidated entities	3,805,000
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	(927,000)
Gain on sale of assets	(370,000)
Deferred income tax provision	3,250,000
Equity-based compensation issued	845,000
Trading securities purchases and sales, net	(3,154,000)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	(12,605,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(2,848,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	(176,000)
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated real estate entities	(1,194,000)
Purchase of loans and investments	(1,318,000)
Proceeds from sale of loans and investments	721,000
Principal payments and proceeds from sales of loans and securities by consolidated VIE - RSO	0
Increase (decrease) in restricted cash of consolidated VIE - RSO	0
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE - RSO	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(1,969,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Increase in borrowings	2,500,000
Principal payments on borrowings	(3,097,000)
Net borrowings (repayments) of debt by consolidated VIE - RSO	0
Dividends paid	(1,964,000)
Dividends paid on common stock by consolidated VIE - RSO	0
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	1,550,000
Repurchases of common stock	(2,083,000)
Increase in restricted cash	(84,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(3,178,000)
Decrease in cash	(7,995,000)
Cash, beginning of year	19,853,000
Cash, end of period	11,858,000
RAI [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Cash, end of period	0
RSO [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in operating activities:
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income of consolidated VIE - RSO	18,629,000
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of loans and investments	(597,139,000)	(473,710,000)
Principal payments and proceeds from sales of loans and securities by consolidated VIE - RSO	365,922,000	584,201,000
Increase (decrease) in restricted cash of consolidated VIE - RSO	10,543,000	(5,926,000)
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE - RSO	10,655,000	(15,419,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Net borrowings (repayments) of debt by consolidated VIE - RSO	48,965,000	(182,637,000)
Dividends paid on common stock by consolidated VIE - RSO	(50,313,000)	(42,542,000)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	163,319,000	179,826,000
Other	(5,044,000)	(6,285,000)
RSO [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	35,162,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Unrealized gains on trading securities	0
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	0	0
Distributions from unconsolidated entities	0
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	0
Gain on sale of assets	0
Deferred income tax provision	0
Equity-based compensation issued	0
Trading securities purchases and sales, net	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	0
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income of consolidated VIE - RSO	18,683,000
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	53,845,000
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	0
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated real estate entities	0
Purchase of loans and investments	(597,139,000)
Principal payments and proceeds from sales of loans and securities by consolidated VIE - RSO	365,922,000
Increase (decrease) in restricted cash of consolidated VIE - RSO	10,543,000
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE - RSO	11,046,000
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(209,628,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Increase in borrowings	0
Principal payments on borrowings	0
Net borrowings (repayments) of debt by consolidated VIE - RSO	48,965,000
Dividends paid	0
Dividends paid on common stock by consolidated VIE - RSO	(51,457,000)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	163,319,000
Other	(5,044,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	155,783,000
Decrease in cash	0
Cash, beginning of year	0
Cash, end of period	$ 0