VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES BORROWINGS (Schedule of Debt) (Details) RSO (RSO [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014 CRE Repurchase Facilities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 CRE Repurchase Facilities [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 RREF CDO 2006-1 Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 RREF CDO 2006-1 Senior Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 RREF CDO 2007-1 Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 RREF CDO 2007-1 Senior Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 RCC CRE Notes 2013 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 RCC CRE Notes 2013 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 RCC CRE Notes 2014 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Apidos CDO I Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Apidos CDO I Senior Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Apidos CDO III Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Apidos CDO III Senior Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Apidos Cinco CDO Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Apidos Cinco CDO Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Whitney CLO I Securitized Borrowings [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Moselle CLO SA Senior Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Moselle CLO SA Securitized Borrowings [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Unsecured Junior Subordinated Debentures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Unsecured Junior Subordinated Debentures [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Convertible Senior Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Convertible Senior Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Repurchase Agreements Debt [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Repurchase Agreements Debt [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 CMBS - Term Repurchase Facilities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 CMBS - Term Repurchase Facilities [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 RMBS - Term Repurchase Facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Residential Mortgage [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Residential Mortgage [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 CMBS - Short-Term Repurchase Agreements [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Long-term Debt [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 JPMorgan Chase [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member] Line of Credit [Member]	Oct. 01, 2014 Subsequent Event [Member] JPMorgan Chase [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Repurchase Agreements [Member] Wells Fargo Bank, National Association [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Repurchase Agreements [Member] Wells Fargo Bank, National Association [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Repurchase Agreements [Member] RMBS - Term Repurchase Facility [Member] Wells Fargo Bank, National Association [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Repurchase Agreements [Member] RMBS - Term Repurchase Facility [Member] Wells Fargo Bank, National Association [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 1,590,958	$ 1,319,810			$ 105,841	$ 94,004	$ 137,004	$ 177,837	$ 223,897	$ 256,571	$ 231,365	$ 47,848	$ 87,131	$ 83,621	$ 133,209	$ 284,160	$ 321,147	$ 440	$ 94,904	$ 5,212	$ 51,154	$ 51,005	$ 107,979	$ 106,535	$ 55,280	$ 29,703	$ 21,559	$ 47,601	$ 22,705	$ 48,885	$ 14,627	$ 36,633	$ 32,911		$ 25,000
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	18,236	16,216			1	205	242	719	2,943	4,269	3,979	0	0	0	117	358	853	0	0	0	394	543	7,021	8,465	654	1,033	0	12	55	0	0	0	2,589						55
Principal Outstanding	1,609,194	1,336,026			105,842	94,209	137,246	178,556	226,840	260,840	235,344	47,848	87,131	83,621	133,326	284,518	322,000	440	94,904	5,212	51,548	51,548	115,000	115,000	55,934	30,736	21,559	47,613	22,760	48,885	14,627	36,633	35,500
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	1.98%	1.87%			1.93%	1.87%	1.06%	0.84%	2.10%	2.03%	1.44%	2.54%	1.68%	1.11%	0.88%	0.74%	0.74%	0.00%	1.19%	1.19%	0.04%	4.19%	6.00%	6.00%	2.32%	2.67%	1.43%	1.38%	1.15%	3.56%	4.24%	1.53%	4.13%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	12 years 2 months	13 years 1 month			31 years 11 months	32 years 7 months	32 years 0 months	32 years 9 months	14 years 2 months	15 years 0 months	17 years 7 months	2 years 9 months	3 years 7 months	6 years 0 months	6 years 8 months	5 years 7 months	6 years 5 months		5 years 4 months		22 years 1 month	22 years 10 months	4 years 2 months	4 years 11 months	20 days	21 days	23 days	21 days	1 day	278 days	56 days	23 days	3 years 0 months
Value of Collateral	2,057,171	1,508,603			139,267	169,115	273,839	318,933	269,371	305,586	347,511	63,956	103,736	94,516	145,930	303,385	342,796	885	127,312	0	0	0	0	0	83,133	48,186	26,540	56,949	28,533	68,417	16,487	47,224	184,167
Interest Payable	3,875	1,693	43	26																							23	22	21
Long-term Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate											1.44%																									2.66%	3.75%	0.00%	1.15%	0.00%
CDO notes																																		$ 95,000