OPERATING SEGMENTS (Summarized Operating Segment) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	$ 52,068,000	$ 33,602,000	$ 100,739,000	$ 75,668,000
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	1,047,000	(117,000)	1,678,000	1,144,000
Total revenues	53,115,000	33,485,000	102,417,000	76,812,000
Segment operating expenses	(28,815,000)	(19,076,000)	(52,487,000)	(44,623,000)
General and administrative expenses	(2,729,000)	(2,149,000)	(5,883,000)	(4,302,000)
Reversal of (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)
Impairment of available for sale securities				(214,000)
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	370,000		370,000
Interest expense	(497,000)	(501,000)	(980,000)	(995,000)
Other income (expense), net	2,538,000	114,000	1,390,000	334,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(17,489,000)	(8,426,000)	(34,600,000)	(20,697,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes	4,453,000	1,311,000	6,528,000	3,425,000
Total assets	2,723,446,000	2,563,941,000	2,723,446,000	2,563,941,000	2,318,451,000
RAI [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities			1,678,000	1,144,000
Total revenues	21,547,000	14,563,000	41,798,000	30,012,000
General and administrative expenses	(2,729,000)	(2,149,000)	(5,883,000)	(4,302,000)
Reversal of (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)
Impairment of available for sale securities	0	0	0	(214,000)
Interest expense	(497,000)	(501,000)	(980,000)	(995,000)
Other income (expense), net	18,000	83,000	183,000
RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	34,608,000	21,647,000	66,539,000	52,225,000
Other income (expense), net	2,509,000		1,178,000
Total assets	2,558,168,000	2,400,757,000	2,558,168,000	2,400,757,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Real Estate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	13,674,000	12,484,000	27,304,000	23,804,000
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	(226,000)	(331,000)	(581,000)	(311,000)
Total revenues	13,448,000	12,153,000	26,723,000	23,493,000
Segment operating expenses	(9,105,000)	(8,896,000)	(17,980,000)	(18,336,000)
General and administrative expenses	(731,000)	(815,000)	(1,827,000)	(2,219,000)
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	7,000	30,000	10,000	2,552,000
Depreciation and amortization	(310,000)	(317,000)	(618,000)	(547,000)
Impairment of available for sale securities				0
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	0
Interest expense	(191,000)	(207,000)	(387,000)	(404,000)
Other income (expense), net	111,000	173,000	367,000	470,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(84,000)	(54,000)	(44,000)	(11,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes	3,145,000	2,067,000	6,244,000	4,998,000
Total assets	183,279,000	173,491,000	183,279,000	173,491,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Financial Fund Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	6,826,000	2,196,000	12,816,000	5,064,000
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	1,315,000	249,000	2,400,000	1,668,000
Total revenues	8,141,000	2,445,000	15,216,000	6,732,000
Segment operating expenses	(2,779,000)	(1,694,000)	(7,168,000)	(4,222,000)
General and administrative expenses	(445,000)	(331,000)	(898,000)	(322,000)
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	0	(199,000)	0	(199,000)
Depreciation and amortization	(20,000)	(16,000)	(31,000)	(36,000)
Impairment of available for sale securities				(214,000)
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	370,000		370,000
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	555,000	558,000	1,126,000	1,147,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes	5,822,000	763,000	8,615,000	2,886,000
Total assets	59,959,000	56,834,000	59,959,000	56,834,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Commercial Finance [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	0	0	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	(42,000)	(35,000)	(141,000)	(213,000)
Total revenues	(42,000)	(35,000)	(141,000)	(213,000)
Segment operating expenses	(123,000)	219,000	(226,000)	174,000
General and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	(1,582,000)	(1,478,000)	(2,793,000)	(4,338,000)
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Impairment of available for sale securities				0
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	0		0
Interest expense	(9,000)	0	(9,000)	(1,000)
Other income (expense), net	0	1,000	(2,000)	7,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes	(1,756,000)	(1,293,000)	(3,171,000)	(4,371,000)
Total assets	5,469,000	9,062,000	5,469,000	9,062,000
Operating Segments [Member] | All Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	0	0	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Segment operating expenses	0	0	0	0
General and administrative expenses	(1,553,000)	(1,003,000)	(3,158,000)	(1,761,000)
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(135,000)	(156,000)	(267,000)	(322,000)
Impairment of available for sale securities				0
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	0		0
Interest expense	(297,000)	(294,000)	(584,000)	(590,000)
Other income (expense), net	(76,000)	(92,000)	(164,000)	(239,000)
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes	(2,061,000)	(1,545,000)	(4,173,000)	(2,912,000)
Total assets	(83,429,000)	(76,203,000)	(83,429,000)	(76,203,000)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	165,278,000	163,184,000	165,278,000	163,184,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RAI [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	20,500,000	14,680,000	40,120,000	28,868,000
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	1,047,000	(117,000)	1,678,000	1,144,000
Total revenues	21,547,000	14,563,000	41,798,000	30,012,000
Segment operating expenses	(12,007,000)	(10,371,000)	(25,374,000)	(22,384,000)
General and administrative expenses	(2,729,000)	(2,149,000)	(5,883,000)	(4,302,000)
Reversal of (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)
Impairment of available for sale securities			0	(214,000)
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	370,000		370,000
Interest expense	(497,000)	(501,000)	(980,000)	(995,000)
Other income (expense), net	590,000	640,000	1,327,000	1,385,000
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(84,000)	(54,000)	(44,000)	(11,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes	5,150,000	(8,000)	7,515,000	601,000
Total assets	192,695,000		192,695,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	34,608,000	21,647,000	66,539,000	52,225,000
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	34,608,000	21,647,000	66,539,000	52,225,000
Segment operating expenses	(19,415,000)	(11,368,000)	(32,555,000)	(27,556,000)
General and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Impairment of available for sale securities				0
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	0		0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	2,509,000	0	1,178,000	0
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(17,405,000)	(8,372,000)	(34,556,000)	(20,686,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes	297,000	1,907,000	606,000	3,983,000
Total assets	2,558,749,000		2,558,749,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	(3,040,000)	(2,725,000)	(5,920,000)	(5,425,000)
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	(3,040,000)	(2,725,000)	(5,920,000)	(5,425,000)
Segment operating expenses	2,607,000	2,663,000	5,442,000	5,317,000
General and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Impairment of available for sale securities				0
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	0		0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	(561,000)	(526,000)	(1,115,000)	(1,051,000)
Pretax income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations excluding noncontrolling interests before taxes	(994,000)	(588,000)	(1,593,000)	(1,159,000)
Total assets	(27,998,000)		(27,998,000)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | RAI [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Other income (expense), net	(572,000)	(557,000)	(1,144,000)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	$ (581,000)		$ (581,000)