OPERATING SEGMENTS (Summarized Operating Segment) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	$ 40,345	$ 41,985
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	1,844	631
Total revenues	42,189	42,616
Segment operating expenses	(32,760)	(21,833)
General and administrative expenses	(3,297)	(3,154)
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	(402)	(1,208)
Depreciation and amortization	(457)	(451)
Interest expense	(421)	(483)
Other income (expense), net	16,363	3,699
Pretax loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	(17,787)	(17,111)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of noncontrolling interests before taxes	3,428	2,075
Total assets	3,102,307	2,509,891	2,900,842
RAI [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	1,844	631
Total revenues	22,101	20,251
General and administrative expenses	(3,297)	(3,154)
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	(402)	(1,208)
Depreciation and amortization	(457)	(451)
Interest expense	(421)	(483)
Other income (expense), net	(164)	165
RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	24,361	25,245
Other income (expense), net	16,516	3,516
Total assets	2,932,646	2,341,335
Operating Segments [Member] | Real Estate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	16,294	13,630
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	672	(355)
Total revenues	16,966	13,275
Segment operating expenses	(11,499)	(8,875)
General and administrative expenses	(879)	(1,096)
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	(114)	3
Depreciation and amortization	(312)	(308)
Interest expense	(183)	(196)
Other income (expense), net	223	256
Pretax loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	8	40
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of noncontrolling interests before taxes	4,210	3,099
Total assets	191,539	180,902
Operating Segments [Member] | Financial Fund Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	3,129	5,990
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	2,008	1,085
Total revenues	5,137	7,075
Segment operating expenses	(2,990)	(4,389)
General and administrative expenses	(284)	(453)
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(16)	(11)
Interest expense	0	0
Other income (expense), net	441	571
Pretax loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of noncontrolling interests before taxes	2,288	2,793
Total assets	49,258	60,047
Operating Segments [Member] | Commercial Finance [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	13	0
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	(15)	(99)
Total revenues	(2)	(99)
Segment operating expenses	(579)	(103)
General and administrative expenses	0	0
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	(288)	(1,211)
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Interest expense	0	0
Other income (expense), net	1	(2)
Pretax loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of noncontrolling interests before taxes	(868)	(1,415)
Total assets	4,173	9,861
Operating Segments [Member] | All Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	0	0
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	0	0
Total revenues	0	0
Segment operating expenses	0	0
General and administrative expenses	(2,134)	(1,605)
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(129)	(132)
Interest expense	(238)	(287)
Other income (expense), net	(351)	(88)
Pretax loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of noncontrolling interests before taxes	(2,852)	(2,112)
Total assets	(75,309)	(82,254)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	169,661	168,556
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RAI [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	19,436	19,620
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	2,665	631
Total revenues	22,101	20,251
Segment operating expenses	(15,068)	(13,367)
General and administrative expenses	(3,297)	(3,154)
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	(402)	(1,208)
Depreciation and amortization	(457)	(451)
Interest expense	(421)	(483)
Other income (expense), net	314	737
Pretax loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	8	40
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of noncontrolling interests before taxes	2,778	2,365
Total assets	203,062
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	24,361	25,245
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	0	0
Total revenues	24,361	25,245
Segment operating expenses	(21,060)	(11,285)
General and administrative expenses	0	0
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Interest expense	0	0
Other income (expense), net	16,516	3,516
Pretax loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	(8,568)	(2,344)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of noncontrolling interests before taxes	11,249	15,132
Total assets	2,933,206
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues from external customers	(3,452)	(2,880)
Equity in (losses) earnings of unconsolidated entities	(821)	0
Total revenues	(4,273)	(2,880)
Segment operating expenses	3,368	2,819
General and administrative expenses	0	0
Reversal of (provision for) credit losses	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Interest expense	0	0
Other income (expense), net	(467)	(554)
Pretax loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	(9,227)	(14,807)
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of noncontrolling interests before taxes	(10,599)	(15,422)
Total assets	(33,961)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | RAI [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest expense		0
Other income (expense), net	(478)	(572)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | RSO [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	$ (560)