VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES RSO Cash Flow Detail (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income (loss)	$ 337,000	$ 990,000
Items included in Change in cash attributable to consolidated VIE-RSO:
Equity in net (earnings) losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries	(1,844,000)	(631,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Subtotal - Purchase of loans and securities by consolidated VIE-RSO, before eliminations	(1,321,000)
Acquisition of property and equipment	(997,000)
Payments on borrowings:
Dividends paid	(1,312,000)
Net proceeds from issuances of common stock (net of offering costs of $0 and $0)	1,000
Repurchase of common stock	2,108,000
Decrease in cash	(2,633,000)	(2,643,000)
Cash, beginning of year	27,542,000	19,853,000
Cash, end of period	24,909,000	17,210,000
Supplemental disclosures:
Interest expense paid in cash	399,000	409,000
Income taxes paid in cash	65,000	176,000
RSO [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income (loss)	17,970,000	17,460,000
Items included in Change in cash attributable to consolidated VIE-RSO:
Provision (recovery of) for loan losses	3,990,000	(3,960,000)
Depreciation of investments in real estate and other	139,000	392,000
Amortization of intangible assets	507,000	444,000
Amortization of term facilities	115,000	534,000
Accretion (amortization) of net discounts (premiums) on loans held for investment	(338,000)	(574,000)
Accretion (amortization) of net discounts (premiums) on securities available-for-sale	837,000	(769,000)
Amortization (accretion) of discount (premium) on notes of securitization	463,000	434,000
Amortization of debt issuance costs on notes of securitizations	1,066,000	796,000
Amortization of stock-based compensation	995,000	1,667,000
Amortization of (accretion) of terminated derivative instruments	67,000	70,000
Accretion (amortization) of interest-only available-for-sales securities	873,000	(137,000)
Deferred income tax (benefit) expense	(48,000)	(89,000)
Purchase of mortgage loans held for sale, net	(58,136,000)	(877,000)
Purchase of securities, trading	(16,268,000)	0
Principal payments on securities, trading	0	42,000
Proceeds from sales of securities, trading	8,095,000	0
Net realized and unrealized loss (gain) on investment securities, trading	(2,074,000)	1,560,000
Net realized (gains) loss on sales of investment securities available-for-sale and loans	(14,423,000)	(3,680,000)
Loss (gain) on reissuance (extinguishment) of debt	900,000	69,000
Loss (gain) on sale of real estate	22,000	0
Settlement of derivative instruments	82,000	0
Net impairment losses recognized in earnings	59,000	0
Linked transactions fair value adjustments	(235,000)	(1,763,000)
Equity in net (earnings) losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries	(706,000)	(2,014,000)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions	65,786,000	9,563,000
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(8,232,000)	1,708,000
Change in consolidated VIE-RSO cash for the period	(137,456,000)	95,584,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income of consolidated VIE-RSO	(145,715,000)	97,264,000
Net cash provided by operating activities of consolidated VIE-RSO (excluding eliminations)	9,738,000	19,168,000
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of loans	(207,983,000)	(169,380,000)
Purchase of securities available-for-sale	(4,000,000)	(48,321,000)
Principal payments received on loans	91,294,000	90,948,000
Proceeds from sale of loans	16,922,000	15,974,000
Principal payments on securities available-for-sale	37,860,000	17,325,000
Proceeds from sale of securities available-for-sale	7,113,000	12,314,000
Principal payments received on loans - related parties	0	753,000
(Increase) decrease in restricted cash	33,230,000	(12,849,000)
Return of capital from (investment in) unconsolidated entity	4,391,000	5,650,000
Acquisition of controlling interest in Moselle CLO S.A.	0	(30,433,000)
Investment in loans - related parties	(903,000)	(285,000)
Purchase of furniture and fixtures	0	(38,000)
Acquisition of property and equipment	(171,000)	(269,000)
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE-RSO	3,317,000	(25,766,000)
Net cash used in investing activities of consolidated VIE-RSO (excluding eliminations)	(22,247,000)	(118,611,000)
Proceeds from borrowings:
Repurchase agreements, net of repayments	0	75,877,000
Senior secured revolving credit facility, net of repayments	21,500,000	0
CRE Securitization	282,127,000	0
Reissuance of debt	8,100,000	0
Convertible senior notes	99,000,000	0
Payments on borrowings:
Collateralized debt obligations	(161,713,000)	(59,668,000)
Repurchase agreements, net of borrowings	(64,812,000)	0
Subtotal - net borrowings of debt by consolidated VIE-RSO	184,202,000	16,209,000
Dividends paid	(26,085,000)	(24,964,000)
Net proceeds from issuances of common stock (net of offering costs of $0 and $0)	0	245,000
Net proceeds from dividend reinvestment and stock purchase plan (net of offering costs of $0 and $0)	106,000	0
Repurchase of common stock	5,000	0
Subtotal - net proceeds from issuance of stock by consolidated VIE-RSO	3,103,000	15,660,000
Payment of debt issuance costs	(6,639,000)	(8,000)
Settlement of derivative instruments	3,091,000	0
Distributions paid to non-controlling interests	(2,987,000)	0
Proceeds received from non-controlling interests	1,802,000	0
Payment of equity to third party sub-note holders	0	(307,000)
Distributions paid on preferred stock	(6,044,000)	(2,159,000)
Other consolidated VIE -RSO financing activity	(10,677,000)	(2,474,000)
Net cash provided by financing activities of consolidated VIE-RSO, excluding eliminations	149,965,000	3,859,000
Decrease in cash	137,456,000	(95,584,000)
Cash, beginning of year	79,905,000	262,270,000
Cash, end of period	217,361,000	166,686,000
Supplemental disclosures:
Interest expense paid in cash	9,378,000	8,576,000
Income taxes paid in cash	1,739,000	1,774,000
RSO [Member] | Redeemable Preferred Stock Series A [Member]
Payments on borrowings:
Proceeds from issuance of redeemable preferred shares, net of offering costs	0	4,440,000
RSO [Member] | Redeemable Preferred Stock Series B [Member]
Payments on borrowings:
Proceeds from issuance of redeemable preferred shares, net of offering costs	3,002,000	10,975,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RSO [Member]
Items included in Change in cash attributable to consolidated VIE-RSO:
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income of consolidated VIE-RSO	(145,688,000)	97,292,000
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Subtotal - Purchase of loans and securities by consolidated VIE-RSO, before eliminations	(211,983,000)	(217,701,000)
Subtotal - principal payments and proceeds from sales received by consolidated VIE-RSO, before eliminations	153,189,000	137,314,000
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE-RSO	3,317,000	(25,375,000)
Payments on borrowings:
Dividends paid	(26,563,000)	(25,536,000)
Other consolidated VIE -RSO financing activity	(10,777,000)	(2,474,000)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income (loss)	(10,599,000)	(15,422,000)
Items included in Change in cash attributable to consolidated VIE-RSO:
Equity in net (earnings) losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries	821,000	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions	(27,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Subtotal - Purchase of loans and securities by consolidated VIE-RSO, before eliminations	0
Subtotal - principal payments and proceeds from sales received by consolidated VIE-RSO, before eliminations	0
(Increase) decrease in restricted cash	0
Acquisition of property and equipment	0
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE-RSO	0
Payments on borrowings:
Subtotal - net borrowings of debt by consolidated VIE-RSO	0
Dividends paid	0
Net proceeds from issuances of common stock (net of offering costs of $0 and $0)	0
Other consolidated VIE -RSO financing activity	100,000
Decrease in cash	0
Cash, beginning of year	0
Cash, end of period	0
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | RSO [Member]
Items included in Change in cash attributable to consolidated VIE-RSO:
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income of consolidated VIE-RSO	(27,000)	(28,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE-RSO	0	(391,000)
Payments on borrowings:
Dividends paid	478,000	572,000
Other consolidated VIE -RSO financing activity	$ 100,000	$ 0