CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Assets:
Cash	$ 24,909	$ 27,542	$ 17,210	$ 19,853
Loans and receivables from managed entities and related parties, net	26,787	30,303
Investments in real estate, net	16,833	17,097
Investment securities, at fair value	9,785	9,540
Investments in unconsolidated entities	13,105	13,089
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Total assets	3,102,307	2,900,842	2,509,891
Liabilities:
Payables to managed entities and related parties	2,165	3,015
Borrowings	21,174	20,412
Liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO:
Borrowings	21,174	20,412
Total liabilities	2,027,109	1,820,399
Preferred stock	0	0
Common stock	338	335
Additional paid-in capital	308,877	308,134
Accumulated deficit	(24,632)	(23,663)
Treasury stock, at cost	(122,305)	(120,182)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,139)	(1,030)
Total stockholders’ equity	161,139	163,594
Total equity	1,075,198	1,080,443
Total liabilities and equity	3,102,307	2,900,842
Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Total assets	169,661		168,556
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Assets:
Cash	0	0
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Total assets	(33,961)
Liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO:
Total liabilities	(2,910)
Total equity	(31,051)
Total liabilities and equity	(33,961)
RAI [Member]
Assets:
Cash	24,909	27,542
Restricted cash	798	725
Receivables	714	636
Loans and receivables from managed entities and related parties, net	26,787	30,303
Investments in real estate, net	16,833	17,097
Investment securities, at fair value	9,785	9,540
Investments in unconsolidated loan manager	40,292	39,655
Investments in unconsolidated entities	13,105	13,089
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Property and equipment, net	5,739	5,063
Deferred tax assets, net	22,015	23,304
Other assets	8,684	5,416
Liabilities:
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	21,631	22,279
Payables to managed entities and related parties	2,165	3,015
Borrowings	21,174	20,412
Liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO:
Borrowings	21,174	20,412
Preferred stock	0
Common stock	338
Additional paid-in capital	308,877
Accumulated deficit	(24,632)
Treasury stock, at cost	(122,305)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,139)
Total stockholders’ equity	161,139
Noncontrolling interests	313	306
RAI [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Assets:
Cash	24,909	27,542
Restricted cash	798
Receivables	868
Loans and receivables from managed entities and related parties, net	29,317
Investments in real estate, net	16,833
Investment securities, at fair value	22,777
Investments in unconsolidated loan manager	40,292
Investments in unconsolidated entities	20,668
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Property and equipment, net	5,739
Deferred tax assets, net	32,177
Other assets	8,684
Total assets	203,062
Liabilities:
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	21,631
Payables to managed entities and related parties	2,167
Borrowings	21,732
Liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO:
Borrowings	21,732
Total liabilities	45,530
Preferred stock	0
Common stock	338
Additional paid-in capital	308,877
Accumulated deficit	(17,211)
Treasury stock, at cost	(122,305)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(12,480)
Total stockholders’ equity	157,219
Noncontrolling interests	313
Total equity	157,532
Total liabilities and equity	203,062
RAI [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Assets:
Cash	0
Restricted cash	0
Receivables	(154)
Loans and receivables from managed entities and related parties, net	(2,530)
Investments in real estate, net	0
Investment securities, at fair value	(12,992)
Investments in unconsolidated loan manager	0
Investments in unconsolidated entities	(7,563)
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Property and equipment, net	0
Deferred tax assets, net	(10,162)
Other assets	0
Liabilities:
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	0
Payables to managed entities and related parties	(2)
Borrowings	(558)
Liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO:
Borrowings	(558)
Preferred stock	0
Common stock	0
Additional paid-in capital	0
Accumulated deficit	(7,421)
Treasury stock, at cost	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	11,341
Total stockholders’ equity	3,920
Noncontrolling interests	0
RSO [Member]
Assets:
Investment securities, at fair value	313,840	296,506
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	244,129	202,043
Loans	2,209,175	2,038,435
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated entities	55,668	60,007
Other assets	109,834	131,481
Total assets	2,932,646		2,341,335
Liabilities:
Borrowings	1,924,932	1,717,132
Liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO:
Borrowings	1,924,932	1,717,132
Other liabilities	57,207	57,561
Total liabilities	1,982,139
Noncontrolling interests	913,746	916,543
RSO [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Assets:
Cash	0	0
Investment securities, at fair value	313,840
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	244,129
Loans	2,209,733
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated entities	55,668
Other assets	109,836
Total assets	2,933,206
Liabilities:
Borrowings	1,924,598
Liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO:
Borrowings	1,924,598
Other liabilities	59,891
Total liabilities	1,984,489
Noncontrolling interests	948,717
Total equity	948,717
Total liabilities and equity	2,933,206
RSO [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Assets:
Investment securities, at fair value	0
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	0
Loans	(558)
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated entities	0
Other assets	(2)
Total assets	(560)
Liabilities:
Borrowings	334
Liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO:
Borrowings	334
Other liabilities	(2,684)
Total liabilities	(2,350)
Noncontrolling interests	$ (34,971)