CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income (loss)	$ 13,580	$ 15,719	$ 8,063	$ 54,016
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization			1,536
Provision for credit losses	(400)	559	278	3,342
Unrealized (gain) loss on trading securities			(87)
Equity in (earnings) losses of unconsolidated entities	(827)	(620)	(5,149)	(2,298)
Distributions from unconsolidated entities			8,093
Impairment on available for sale securities	(151)		(4,497)
(Gain) loss on sales of investment securities, net			(1,140)
(Gain) loss on sales of leases and loans			(19)
Deferred income tax provision (benefit)			3,624
Equity-based compensation issued			2,593
(Gain) loss on trading securities			15
Trading securities purchases and sales, net			(824)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities			1,721
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities			22,447
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures			(515)
Principal payments on leases and loans			21
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated real estate entities			(5,147)
Purchase of loans and investments			(4,457)
Proceeds from sale of loans and investments			6,070
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities			(28,172)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Principal payments on borrowings			0
Dividends paid			(3,909)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock			1
Repurchases of common stock			(15,032)
(Increase) decrease in restricted cash			(168)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities			(3,715)
Decrease in cash			(9,440)	6,575
Cash, beginning of year			27,542	19,853
Cash, end of period	18,102	26,428	18,102	26,428
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income (loss)	(1,058)	(1,195)	(3,620)	(2,369)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization			0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Equity in (earnings) losses of unconsolidated entities	603	491	2,158	491
Distributions from unconsolidated entities			0
Impairment on available for sale securities	0		0
(Gain) loss on sales of leases and loans			0
Deferred income tax provision (benefit)			0
Equity-based compensation issued			0
Trading securities purchases and sales, net			0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities			0
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income of consolidated VIE-RSO			(97)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities			(1,559)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures			0
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated real estate entities			0
Purchase of loans and investments			0
Proceeds from sale of loans and investments			0
Principal payments and proceeds from sales of loans and securities by consolidated VIE-RSO			0
Increase (decrease) in restricted cash of consolidated VIE-RSO			0
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE-RSO			(990)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities			(990)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Principal payments on borrowings			990
Net borrowings of debt by consolidated VIE-RSO			0
Dividends paid			0
Dividends paid on common stock by consolidated VIE-RSO			1,374
Other financing activity of consolidated VIE - RSO			185
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities			2,549
Decrease in cash			0
Cash, beginning of year			0
Cash, end of period	0		0
RAI [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization			1,536	1,469
Provision for credit losses	(400)	559	278	3,342
Unrealized (gain) loss on trading securities	(45)	231	(87)	111
Equity in (earnings) losses of unconsolidated entities			(5,149)	(2,298)
Distributions from unconsolidated entities			8,093	5,134
Impairment on available for sale securities	(151)	0	(4,497)	0
(Gain) loss on sales of investment securities, net			(1,140)	0
(Gain) loss on sales of leases and loans			19	22
Deferred income tax provision (benefit)			3,624	4,838
Equity-based compensation issued			2,593	1,322
(Gain) loss on trading securities	(45)	(855)	(72)	(1,845)
Trading securities purchases and sales, net			(824)	973
Changes in operating assets and liabilities			1,721	(13,055)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures			(515)	(291)
Principal payments on leases and loans			(21)	(22)
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated real estate entities			(5,147)	(1,561)
Purchase of loans and investments			(4,457)	(7,320)
Proceeds from sale of loans and investments			6,070	721
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Principal payments on borrowings			0	(2,813)
Dividends paid on common stock by consolidated VIE-RSO			(3,909)	(2,952)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock			1	17,570
Repurchases of common stock			(15,032)	(8,358)
(Increase) decrease in restricted cash			(168)	(133)
Other financing activity of consolidated VIE - RSO			0	0
Cash, beginning of year			27,542
Cash, end of period	18,102		18,102
RAI [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income (loss)	(84)	2,583	1,706	6,892
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization			1,536
Provision for credit losses	(400)	559	278	3,342
Unrealized (gain) loss on trading securities			(87)
Equity in (earnings) losses of unconsolidated entities	(1,430)	(1,111)	(7,307)	(2,789)
Distributions from unconsolidated entities			8,093
Impairment on available for sale securities	(151)		(4,497)
(Gain) loss on sales of investment securities, net			(1,140)
(Gain) loss on sales of leases and loans			(19)
Deferred income tax provision (benefit)			3,624
Equity-based compensation issued			2,593
(Gain) loss on trading securities			15
Trading securities purchases and sales, net			(824)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities			1,721
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income of consolidated VIE-RSO			0
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities			14,686
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures			(515)
Principal payments on leases and loans			21
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated real estate entities			(5,147)
Purchase of loans and investments			(4,457)
Proceeds from sale of loans and investments			6,070
Principal payments and proceeds from sales of loans and securities by consolidated VIE-RSO			0
Increase (decrease) in restricted cash of consolidated VIE-RSO			0
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE-RSO			0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities			(4,028)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Principal payments on borrowings			(990)
Net borrowings of debt by consolidated VIE-RSO			0
Dividends paid			(3,909)
Dividends paid on common stock by consolidated VIE-RSO			0
Proceeds from issuance of common stock			1
Repurchases of common stock			(15,032)
(Increase) decrease in restricted cash			(168)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities			(20,098)
Decrease in cash			(9,440)
Cash, beginning of year			27,542
Cash, end of period	18,102		18,102
RAI [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Cash, end of period	0		0
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income of consolidated VIE-RSO			(754)
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income of consolidated VIE-RSO			(657)
RSO [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Equity in (earnings) losses of unconsolidated entities	(334)	(887)	(1,702)	(4,663)
Impairment on available for sale securities			(59)	0
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income of consolidated VIE-RSO			(3,225)	6,067
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures			0	(362)
Purchase of loans and investments			(658,207)	(812,912)
Principal payments and proceeds from sales of loans and securities by consolidated VIE-RSO			524,476	552,064
Increase (decrease) in restricted cash of consolidated VIE-RSO			96,887	18,328
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE-RSO			12,700	(10,175)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Net borrowings of debt by consolidated VIE-RSO			124,922	60,670
Dividends paid			(68,059)	(75,920)
Dividends paid on common stock by consolidated VIE-RSO			(68,059)	(75,920)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock			3,196	177,568
Repurchases of common stock			(15,433)	0
Other financing activity of consolidated VIE - RSO			(29,233)	2,761
Decrease in cash			24,830	(99,001)
Cash, beginning of year			79,905	262,270
Cash, end of period	104,735	163,269	104,735	163,269
RSO [Member] | Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income (loss)	14,722	14,331	9,977	49,493
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization			0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Unrealized (gain) loss on trading securities			0
Equity in (earnings) losses of unconsolidated entities	0	$ 0	0	0
Distributions from unconsolidated entities			0
Impairment on available for sale securities	0		0
(Gain) loss on sales of leases and loans			0
Deferred income tax provision (benefit)			0
Equity-based compensation issued			0
Trading securities purchases and sales, net			0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities			0
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities			9,320
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures			0
Investments in real estate and unconsolidated real estate entities			0
Purchase of loans and investments			(658,207)
Principal payments and proceeds from sales of loans and securities by consolidated VIE-RSO			524,476	552,064
Increase (decrease) in restricted cash of consolidated VIE-RSO			96,887
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE-RSO			13,690	(9,784)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities			(23,154)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Principal payments on borrowings			0
Net borrowings of debt by consolidated VIE-RSO			124,922
Dividends paid			0
Dividends paid on common stock by consolidated VIE-RSO			(69,433)	(77,636)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock			3,196
Repurchases of common stock			(15,433)
Other financing activity of consolidated VIE - RSO			(29,418)	2,586
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities			13,834
Decrease in cash			0
Cash, beginning of year			0
Cash, end of period	$ 0		0
RSO [Member] | Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE-RSO			(990)	(391)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Dividends paid			1,374	1,716
Other financing activity of consolidated VIE - RSO			$ 185	$ 175