VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS (Fair Value, by Balance Sheet Grouping) (Details) RSO - RSO [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Loans held-for-investment	$ 2,118,978	$ 1,925,980
Loans receivable–related party	0	558
Senior secured revolving credit agreement	28,139	18,030
Carrying Amount [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Loans held-for-investment	2,118,978	1,925,980
Loans receivable–related party		558
CDO notes	1,189,092	1,046,493
Junior subordinated notes	51,360	51,205
Convertible Notes Payable	204,776	108,374
Repurchase agreements	276,921	399,662
Senior secured revolving credit agreement	158,742	111,137
Fair Value [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Loans held-for-investment	2,107,162	1,909,019
Loans receivable–related party		558
CDO notes	1,076,523	975,762
Junior subordinated notes	17,854	17,699
Convertible Notes Payable	204,776	108,374
Repurchase agreements	276,921	399,662
Senior secured revolving credit agreement	158,742	111,137
Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Loans held-for-investment	0	0
Loans receivable–related party		0
CDO notes	0	0
Junior subordinated notes	0	0
Convertible Notes Payable	0	0
Repurchase agreements	0	0
Senior secured revolving credit agreement	0	0
Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Loans held-for-investment	491,206	570,071
Loans receivable–related party		0
CDO notes	0	0
Junior subordinated notes	0	0
Convertible Notes Payable	0	0
Repurchase agreements	0	0
Senior secured revolving credit agreement	0	0
Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Loans held-for-investment	1,615,956	1,338,948
Loans receivable–related party		558
CDO notes	1,076,523	975,762
Junior subordinated notes	17,854	17,699
Convertible Notes Payable	204,776	108,374
Repurchase agreements	276,921	399,662
Senior secured revolving credit agreement	$ 158,742	$ 111,137

The carrying amount of notes payable as of the balance sheet date.

No definition available.

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- Definition

The carrying amount of junior subordinated notes payable.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Repurchase Agreements, Asset

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Including the current and noncurrent portions, carrying value as of the balance sheet date of a written promise to pay a note, initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle if longer, which can be exchanged for a specified amount of one or more securities (typically common stock), at the option of the issuer or the holder.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.16)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.16(a))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 20, 22

-Article 5

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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

For an unclassified balance sheet, reflects the carrying amount of unpaid loan amounts due from related parties at the balance sheet date.

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- Definition

Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of loans that have been pledged as collateral for borrowings. If the secured party has the right by contract or custom to sell or re-pledge the collateral, then the debtor reclassifies that asset and report that asset in its statement of financial position separately from other assets not so encumbered.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 860

-SubTopic 30

-Section 45

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6467456&loc=d3e113888-111728

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 310

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 5

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49124121&loc=d3e5086-111524

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- Definition

Including the current and noncurrent portions, aggregate carrying amount of all types of notes payable, as of the balance sheet date, with initial maturities beyond one year or beyond the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.16)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.16)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 13, 16

-Article 9

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19, 20, 22

-Article 5

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