CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014
Assets:
Loans and receivables from managed entities and related parties, net	$ 26,520	$ 30,303
Investments in real estate, net	17,040	17,097
Investment securities, at fair value	10,870	9,540
Investments in unconsolidated entities	16,884	13,089
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Total assets	2,942,705	2,900,382	$ 2,723,446
Liabilities:
Payables to managed entities and related parties	4,748	3,015
Borrowings	21,029	20,412
Liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO:
Borrowings	21,029	20,412
Total liabilities	1,926,451	1,819,939
Preferred stock	0	0
Common stock	338	335
Additional paid-in capital	309,736	308,134
Accumulated deficit	(27,643)	(23,663)
Treasury stock, at cost	(124,736)	(120,182)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(915)	(1,030)
Total stockholders’ equity	156,780	163,594
Total equity	1,016,254	1,080,443
Total liabilities and equity	2,942,705	2,900,382
Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Total assets	168,481		165,278
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Total assets	(32,581)
Liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO:
Total liabilities	(2,142)
Total equity	(30,439)
Total liabilities and equity	(32,581)
RAI [Member]
Assets:
Restricted cash	886	725
Receivables	1,061	636
Loans and receivables from managed entities and related parties, net	26,520	30,303
Investments in real estate, net	17,040	17,097
Investment securities, at fair value	10,870	9,540
Investments in unconsolidated loan manager	36,526	39,655
Investments in unconsolidated entities	16,884	13,089
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Property and equipment, net	5,622	5,063
Deferred tax assets, net	20,920	23,304
Other assets	8,392	5,416
Liabilities:
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	21,241	22,279
Payables to managed entities and related parties	4,748	3,015
Borrowings	21,029	20,412
Liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO:
Borrowings	21,029	20,412
Preferred stock	0
Common stock	338
Additional paid-in capital	309,736
Accumulated deficit	(27,643)
Treasury stock, at cost	(124,736)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(915)
Total stockholders’ equity	156,780
Noncontrolling interests	376	306
RAI [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Assets:
Restricted cash	886
Receivables	1,181
Loans and receivables from managed entities and related parties, net	28,874
Investments in real estate, net	17,040
Investment securities, at fair value	21,944
Investments in unconsolidated loan manager	36,526
Investments in unconsolidated entities	24,883
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Property and equipment, net	5,622
Deferred tax assets, net	31,954
Other assets	8,392
Total assets	201,062
Liabilities:
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	21,241
Payables to managed entities and related parties	4,748
Borrowings	21,029
Liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO:
Borrowings	21,029
Total liabilities	47,018
Preferred stock	0
Common stock	338
Additional paid-in capital	309,736
Accumulated deficit	(18,369)
Treasury stock, at cost	(124,736)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(13,301)
Total stockholders’ equity	153,668
Noncontrolling interests	376
Total equity	154,044
Total liabilities and equity	201,062
RAI [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Assets:
Restricted cash	0
Receivables	(120)
Loans and receivables from managed entities and related parties, net	(2,354)
Investments in real estate, net	0
Investment securities, at fair value	(11,074)
Investments in unconsolidated loan manager	0
Investments in unconsolidated entities	(7,999)
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Property and equipment, net	0
Deferred tax assets, net	(11,034)
Other assets	0
Liabilities:
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	0
Payables to managed entities and related parties	0
Borrowings	0
Liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO:
Borrowings	0
Preferred stock	0
Common stock	0
Additional paid-in capital	0
Accumulated deficit	(9,274)
Treasury stock, at cost	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	12,386
Total stockholders’ equity	3,112
Noncontrolling interests	0
RSO [Member]
Assets:
Investment securities, at fair value	286,108	296,506
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	190,765	202,043
Loans	2,154,007	2,039,655
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated entities	56,330	60,007
Other assets	87,014	129,801
Total assets	2,774,224		$ 2,558,168
Liabilities:
Borrowings	1,827,793	1,717,132
Liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO:
Borrowings	1,827,793	1,717,132
Other liabilities	51,640	57,101
Total liabilities	1,879,433
Noncontrolling interests	859,098	$ 916,543
RSO [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Assets:
Investment securities, at fair value	286,108
Assets of consolidated variable interest entity (VIE)-RSO (see Note 19):
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	190,765
Loans	2,154,007
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated entities	56,330
Other assets	87,014
Total assets	2,774,224
Liabilities:
Borrowings	1,827,461
Liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO:
Borrowings	1,827,461
Other liabilities	54,114
Total liabilities	1,881,575
Noncontrolling interests	892,649
Total equity	892,649
Total liabilities and equity	2,774,224
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	0
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated entities	0
Other assets	0
Total assets	0
Liabilities:
Borrowings	332
Liabilities of consolidated VIE-RSO:
Borrowings	332
Other liabilities	(2,474)
Total liabilities	(2,142)
Noncontrolling interests	$ (33,551)