VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES RSO Balance Sheets Detail (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2014 RSO [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 RSO [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 RSO [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 RSO [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Reportable Legal Entities [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Reportable Legal Entities [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Reportable Legal Entities [Member] RSO [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Reportable Legal Entities [Member] RSO [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] RSO [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] RSO [Member]
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 26,428	$ 19,853	$ 19,439	$ 11,899	$ 163,269	$ 262,270	$ 144,463	$ 85,278					$ 0	$ 0
Restricted cash					83,604	63,309
Subtotal - Cash and cash equivalents					246,873	325,579
Trading securities	1,016	317			9,187	11,558
Investment securities available-for-sale, pledged as collateral, at fair value					204,843	162,608
Investment securities available-for-sale, at fair value					76,175	52,598
Total investment securities, at fair value	9,845	7,839			290,205	226,764
Loans, pledged as collateral and net of allowances of $4.5 million and $13.8 million (of which $83.0 million and $0 at fair value)					1,744,899	1,369,526
Loans receivable–related party net of allowance of $936,000 and $0					4,172	6,966
Loans held for sale					91,382	21,916
Loans					1,839,895	1,397,458					1,840,453	1,398,408			(558)	(950)
Property held-for-sale					29,581	25,346
Investment in real estate					0	29,778
Investments in unconsolidated entities					60,540	69,069
Subtotal, Investments in real estate and unconsolidated entities					90,121	124,193
Linked transactions, net at fair value					14,272	30,066
Derivatives, at fair value					21,618	0
Interest receivable					14,831	8,965
Deferred tax assets, net					4,853	5,212
Principal paydown receivable					34,297	6,821
Intangible assets					10,254	11,822
Prepaid expenses					4,529	2,871
Other assets											20,075	10,726
Other assets					121,919	76,467					124,729	76,483			(2,810)	(16)
Total assets	2,763,102	2,318,451	2,443,511		2,589,013	2,150,461			174,089	172,043	2,592,381	2,151,427	(35,761)
LIABILITIES
Borrowings	20,451	20,619			1,591,241	1,320,015					1,590,958	1,319,810			283	205
Distribution payable					30,340	27,023
Accrued interest expense					3,875	1,693
Derivatives, at fair value					8,830	10,586
Accrued tax liability					3,131	1,629
Deferred tax liability					0	4,112
Accounts payable and other liabilities					11,331	12,650
Other liabilities					54,842	55,247					57,507	57,693			(2,665)	(2,446)
Total liabilities	1,689,256	1,421,125			1,646,083	1,375,262					1,648,465	1,377,503	(5,750)
Assets of consolidated Variable Interest Entities (VIEs) included in the total assets above:
Restricted cash					80,633	61,372
Investments securities available-for-sale, pledged as collateral, at fair value					110,376	105,846
Loans held for sale					36,674	2,376
Loans, pledged as collateral and net of allowances of $4.0 million and $8.8 million ($83.0 million and $0 at fair value)					1,405,788	1,219,569
Interest receivable					8,066	5,627
Prepaid expenses					217	247
Principal receivable					34,100	6,821
Other assets					(12)	0
Total assets of consolidated VIE-RSO					1,675,842	1,401,858
Liabilities of consolidated VIEs included in the total liabilities above:
Borrowings ($140.2 million and $0 at fair value)					1,214,923	1,070,339
Accrued interest expense					1,280	918
Derivatives, at fair value					7,958	10,191
Accounts payable and other liabilities					(418)	1,604
Total liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO					$ 1,223,743	$ 1,083,052