VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES BORROWINGS (Schedule of Debt) (Details) RSO - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
CDO notes	$ 0	$ 0
RSO [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	1,909,030	1,734,901
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	28,139	18,030
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 1,880,891	$ 1,716,871
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	2.61%	2.09%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	12 years	10 years
Value of Collateral	$ 2,418,616	$ 2,287,115
Interest Payable	5,437	2,123
RSO [Member] | RREF CDO 2006-1 Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	52,820	61,423
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	0	0
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 52,820	$ 61,423
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	2.37%	2.12%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	30 years 11 months 6 days	31 years 7 months 6 days
Value of Collateral	$ 93,757	$ 139,242
RSO [Member] | RREF CDO 2007-1 Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	127,195	130,340
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	0	133
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 127,195	$ 130,207
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	1.20%	1.19%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	31 years	31 years 9 months 18 days
Value of Collateral	$ 247,080	$ 271,423
RSO [Member] | RCC CRE Notes 2013 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	127,215	226,840
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	1,382	2,683
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 125,833	$ 224,157
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	2.66%	2.11%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	13 years 2 months 24 days	14 years
Value of Collateral	$ 141,114	$ 249,983
RSO [Member] | RCC CRE Notes 2014 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	235,344	235,344
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	3,314	3,687
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 232,030	$ 231,657
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	1.50%	1.45%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	16 years 7 months 6 days	17 years 3 months 18 days
Value of Collateral	$ 349,681	$ 346,585
RSO [Member] | RCC CRE Notes 2015 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	282,127
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	3,683
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 278,444
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	2.10%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	16 years 6 months 12 days
Value of Collateral	$ 340,885
RSO [Member] | RCC CRE Notes 2015-CRE4 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	223,735
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	3,332
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 220,403
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	1.92%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	16 years 10 months 12 days
Value of Collateral	$ 307,697
RSO [Member] | Apidos CDO III Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding		74,646
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts		0
Outstanding Borrowings		$ 74,646
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate		1.18%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity		5 years 8 months 12 days
Value of Collateral		$ 85,553
RSO [Member] | Apidos Cinco CDO Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	152,310	255,664
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	0	201
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 152,310	$ 255,463
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	1.05%	0.81%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	4 years 7 months 24 days	5 years 4 months 24 days
Value of Collateral	$ 171,209	$ 272,512
RSO [Member] | Moselle CLO S.A. Securitized Borrowings [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	57	5,619
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	0	0
Outstanding Borrowings	57	$ 5,619
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate		1.49%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity		5 years
Value of Collateral	354	$ 0
RSO [Member] | Moselle CLO S.A. Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding		63,321
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts		0
Outstanding Borrowings		$ 63,321
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate		1.49%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity		5 years
Value of Collateral		$ 93,576
Interest Payable	8	20
CDO notes		63,300
RSO [Member] | RMBS - Term Repurchase Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding		22,248
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts		36
Outstanding Borrowings		$ 22,212
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate		1.16%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity		1 day
Value of Collateral		$ 27,885
Interest Payable	26	31
RSO [Member] | Unsecured Junior Subordinated Debentures [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	51,548	51,548
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	188	343
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 51,360	$ 51,205
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	4.24%	4.19%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	21 years 1 month 18 days	21 years 9 months 18 days
Value of Collateral	$ 0	$ 0
RSO [Member] | 6% Convertible Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	115,000	115,000
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	5,339	6,626
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 109,661	$ 108,374
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	6.00%	6.00%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	3 years 2 months 24 days	3 years 10 months 24 days
Value of Collateral	$ 0	$ 0
RSO [Member] | Eight Percent Convertible Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	100,000
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	4,885
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 95,115
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	8.00%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	4 years 4 months
Value of Collateral	$ 0
RSO [Member] | CRE - Term Repurchase Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	88,050	207,640
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	2,756	1,958
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 85,294	$ 205,682
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	2.27%	2.43%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	19 days	20 days
Value of Collateral	$ 140,107	$ 297,571
Interest Payable	63	198
RSO [Member] | Repurchase Agreements Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding		24,967
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts		0
Outstanding Borrowings		$ 24,967
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate		1.35%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity		20 days
Value of Collateral		$ 30,180
RSO [Member] | CMBS - Term Repurchase Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	26,328
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	2
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 26,326
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	1.41%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	19 days
Value of Collateral	$ 32,539
Interest Payable	14	12
RSO [Member] | Residential Investments - Term Repurchase Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	4,629
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	0
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 4,629
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	2.75%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	356 days
Value of Collateral	$ 5,134
RSO [Member] | Mortgages [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	97,124	102,576
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	0	0
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 97,124	$ 102,576
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	2.78%	2.78%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	352 days	207 days
Value of Collateral	$ 154,531	$ 147,472
RSO [Member] | CMBS - Short Term Repurchase Agreements [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	63,548	44,225
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	0	0
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 63,548	$ 44,225
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	1.72%	1.63%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	46 days	17 days
Value of Collateral	$ 90,444	$ 62,446
RSO [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding		113,500
Unamortized Issuance Costs and Discounts	3,258	2,363
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 158,742	$ 111,137
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	3.03%	2.66%
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	3 years 6 months	3 years 8 months 12 days
Value of Collateral	$ 344,084	$ 262,687
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association [Member] | RCC Real Estate [Member] | CRE - Term Repurchase Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 927	$ 1,700
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association [Member] | Linked and Non-linked Transactions [Member] | RSO [Member] | RMBS - Term Repurchase Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate		1.16%
Amount at Risk		$ 5,017
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity		1 day
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association [Member] | Linked and Non-linked Transactions [Member] | RSO [Member] | CRE - Term Repurchase Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	2.21%	2.38%
Amount at Risk	$ 49,604	$ 76,148
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	19 days	20 days
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association [Member] | Linked and Non-linked Transactions [Member] | RSO [Member] | CMBS - Term Repurchase Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	1.41%	1.35%
Amount at Risk	$ 5,894	$ 6,486
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	19 days	20 days
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association [Member] | Linked and Non-linked Transactions [Member] | RSO [Member] | Residential Investments - Term Repurchase Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	2.75%
Amount at Risk	$ 505
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	356 days
Morgan Stanley National Association [Member] | Linked and Non-linked Transactions [Member] | RSO [Member] | CRE - Term Repurchase Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	2.80%
Amount at Risk	$ 2,864
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	22 days
Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc [Member] | RCC Real Estate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Outstanding Borrowings	$ 0	$ 268
Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc [Member] | Linked and Non-linked Transactions [Member] | RSO [Member] | CRE - Term Repurchase Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate		2.78%
Amount at Risk		$ 13,017
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity		19 days
Repurchase Agreements [Member] | RSO [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	$ 276,921	$ 399,662
Repurchase Agreements [Member] | Wells Fargo Bank, National Association [Member] | RSO [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	2.75%	2.75%
Repurchase Agreements [Member] | Wells Fargo Bank, National Association [Member] | Linked and Non-linked Transactions [Member] | RSO [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	2.75%	2.75%
Amount at Risk	$ 45,289	$ 6,902
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	365 days	183 days
Repurchase Agreements [Member] | New Century Bank [Member] | RSO [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	2.82%	2.82%
Repurchase Agreements [Member] | New Century Bank [Member] | Linked and Non-linked Transactions [Member] | RSO [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	2.82%	2.82%
Amount at Risk	$ 12,119	$ 853
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	334 days	242 days
Repurchase Agreements [Member] | Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc [Member] | RSO [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	1.73%	1.62%
Repurchase Agreements [Member] | Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc [Member] | Linked and Non-linked Transactions [Member] | RSO [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	1.73%	1.62%
Amount at Risk	$ 20,853	$ 11,810
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	56 days	20 days
Repurchase Agreements [Member] | Wells Fargo Securities, LLC [Member] | RSO [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	1.85%	1.66%
Repurchase Agreements [Member] | Wells Fargo Securities, LLC [Member] | Linked and Non-linked Transactions [Member] | RSO [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted Average Borrowing Rate	1.85%	1.66%
Amount at Risk	$ 6,070	$ 2,127
Weighted Average Remaining Maturity	11 days	9 days
Northport LLC [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | RSO [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Outstanding	$ 162,000