CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$ 54,016,000	$ 49,468,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	1,469,000
Provision for credit losses	3,342,000	3,793,000
Unrealized (losses) gains on trading securities	111,000
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	(2,298,000)	(2,528,000)
Distributions from unconsolidated entities	5,134,000
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	(1,845,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans	(22,000)
Losses (gains) on sales of assets	439,000
Deferred income tax provision (benefit)	4,838,000
Equity-based compensation issued	1,322,000
Trading securities purchases and sales, net	973,000
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	(13,055,000)
Net cash provided by operating activities	96,784,000	18,736,000
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	(291,000)
Payments received on real estate loans and real estate	25,000
Principal payments on leases and loans	22,000
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated real estate entities	(1,561,000)
Purchase of loans and investments	(7,320,000)
Proceeds from sale of loans and investments	721,000
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(261,099,000)	206,967,000
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Increase in borrowings	2,520,000
Principal payments on borrowings	(2,813,000)
Dividends paid	(2,952,000)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	17,570,000
Repurchases of common stock	(8,358,000)
Increase in restricted cash	(133,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	170,890,000	(217,792,000)
Decrease in cash	6,575,000	7,540,000
Cash, beginning of year	19,853,000	11,899,000
Cash, end of period	26,428,000	19,439,000
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	(2,369,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Unrealized (losses) gains on trading securities	(22,000)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	491,000	0
Distributions from unconsolidated entities	0
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	95,000
Gain on sale of leases and loans	0
Losses (gains) on sales of assets	0
Deferred income tax provision (benefit)	0
Equity-based compensation issued	0
Trading securities purchases and sales, net	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	(2,800,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income of consolidated VIE-RSO	2,714,000
Net cash provided by operating activities	(1,891,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	0
Payments received on real estate loans and real estate	0
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated real estate entities	0
Purchase of loans and investments	0
Principal payments and proceeds from sales of loans and securities by consolidated VIE-RSO	0
Proceeds from sale of loans and investments	0
Increase 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	1,716,000
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	0
Other	175,000
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	2,282,000
Decrease in cash	0
Cash, beginning of year	0
Cash, end of period	0
RAI [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	1,469,000	1,462,000
Provision for credit losses	3,342,000	3,793,000
Unrealized (losses) gains on trading securities	111,000	(774,000)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	(2,298,000)	(2,528,000)
Distributions from unconsolidated entities	5,134,000	3,099,000
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	(1,845,000)	(4,551,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans	(22,000)	0
Losses (gains) on sales of assets	439,000	(1,632,000)
Deferred income tax provision (benefit)	4,838,000	(254,000)
Equity-based compensation issued	1,322,000	942,000
Trading securities purchases and sales, net	973,000	6,445,000
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	(13,055,000)	1,465,000
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	(291,000)	(1,035,000)
Payments received on real estate loans and real estate	25,000	2,049,000
Principal payments on leases and loans	(22,000)	(8,000)
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated real estate entities	(1,561,000)	(2,058,000)
Purchase of loans and investments	(7,320,000)	(2,024,000)
Proceeds from sale of loans and investments	721,000	0
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Increase in borrowings	2,520,000	2,000,000
Principal payments on borrowings	(2,813,000)	(2,354,000)
Dividends paid	(2,952,000)	(1,194,000)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	17,570,000	1,253,000
Repurchases of common stock	(8,358,000)	(1,601,000)
Increase in restricted cash		0
Other	0	81,000
Cash, beginning of year	19,853,000
Cash, end of period	26,428,000
RAI [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	6,892,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	1,469,000
Provision for credit losses	3,342,000	3,793,000
Unrealized (losses) gains on trading securities	133,000
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	(2,789,000)	(2,528,000)
Distributions from unconsolidated entities	5,134,000
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	(1,940,000)
Gain on sale of leases and loans	(22,000)
Losses (gains) on sales of assets	439,000
Deferred income tax provision (benefit)	4,838,000
Equity-based compensation issued	1,322,000
Trading securities purchases and sales, net	973,000
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	(10,255,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income of consolidated VIE-RSO	0
Net cash provided by operating activities	9,536,000
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	(291,000)
Payments received on real estate loans and real estate	25,000
Principal payments on leases and loans	22,000
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated real estate entities	(1,561,000)
Purchase of loans and investments	(7,320,000)
Principal payments and proceeds from sales of loans and securities by consolidated VIE-RSO	0
Proceeds from sale of loans and investments	721,000
Increase in restricted cash of consolidated VIE-RSO	0
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE-RSO	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(8,404,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Increase in borrowings	2,520,000
Principal payments on borrowings	(3,204,000)
Net borrowings (repayments) of debt by consolidated VIE-RSO	0
Dividends paid	(2,952,000)
Dividends paid on common stock by consolidated VIE-RSO	0
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	17,570,000
Repurchases of common stock	(8,358,000)
Increase in restricted cash	(133,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	5,443,000
Decrease in cash	6,575,000
Cash, beginning of year	19,853,000
Cash, end of period	26,428,000
RAI [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Cash, end of period	0
RSO [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income of consolidated VIE-RSO	42,360,000
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of loans and investments	(812,912,000)	(675,650,000)
Principal payments and proceeds from sales of loans and securities by consolidated VIE-RSO	552,913,000	842,252,000
Increase in restricted cash of consolidated VIE-RSO	18,328,000	30,079,000
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE-RSO	(11,024,000)	13,346,000
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Net borrowings (repayments) of debt by consolidated VIE-RSO	67,954,000	(320,834,000)
Dividends paid on common stock by consolidated VIE-RSO	(75,920,000)	(66,341,000)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	177,568,000	184,279,000
Other	(4,546,000)	(13,081,000)
RSO [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	49,493,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0
Unrealized (losses) 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 leases and loans	0
Losses (gains) on sales of assets	0
Deferred income tax provision (benefit)	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	39,646,000
Net cash provided by operating activities	89,139,000
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	0
Payments received on real estate loans and real estate	0
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated real estate entities	0
Purchase of loans and investments	(812,912,000)
Principal payments and proceeds from sales of loans and securities by consolidated VIE-RSO	552,913,000
Increase in restricted cash of consolidated VIE-RSO	18,328,000
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE-RSO	(10,633,000)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(252,304,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Increase in borrowings	0
Principal payments on borrowings	0
Net borrowings (repayments) of debt by consolidated VIE-RSO	67,954,000
Dividends paid	0
Dividends paid on common stock by consolidated VIE-RSO	(77,636,000)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	177,568,000
Other	(4,721,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	163,165,000
Decrease in cash	0
Cash, beginning of year	0
Cash, end of period	$ 0