INVESTMENTS IN UNCONSOLIDATED ENTITIES AND LOAN MANAGER (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jul. 31, 2015	Jan. 31, 2013	Apr. 30, 2012	Mar. 10, 2016	Feb. 29, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Nov. 02, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership percentage			10.00%
Proceeds from sale of investment			$ 3,000
Gain on sale of investments			$ 1,600
Investments in unconsolidated entities							$ 17,553		$ 16,024
Investments in unconsolidated loan manager (see Note 7)							$ 32,616		39,655
RRE Opportunity REIT [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Cost method investment										$ 2,500
Resource Real Estate Opportunity REIT II, Inc. [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Cost method investment								$ 1,300
Apartment REIT III [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Cost method investment								$ 200
Resource America, Inc. [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of CLO management subsidiary				$ 25,000
Resource America, Inc. [Member] | General Partner [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Preferred equity interest retained as a percentage of incentive management fees				75.00%			75.00%
Pearlmark Real Estate Partners [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Cost method investment							$ 6,000
Ownership percentage							50.00%
Financial fund management [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Investments in unconsolidated entities							$ 6,754		7,097
Trapeza entities [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Investments in unconsolidated entities							630		614
CVC Credit Partners, L.P. [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Cost method investment							6,800
CVC Credit Partners, LLC [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Other than temporary impairment	$ 4,300
CVC Credit Partners, L.P. [Member] | Resource America, Inc. [Member] | Limited Partner [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Cost method investment							25,800		$ 32,900
Percentage interest in limited partnership formed		24.00%		33.00%
Option to buy interests in joint venture, percentage		9.00%
CVC Credit Partners, L.P. [Member] | Resource America, Inc. [Member] | General Partner [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Company's general partnership interest in newly formed limited partnership (in hundredths)				33.00%
CVC Credit Partners, L.P. [Member] | Financial fund management [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Investments in unconsolidated entities							3,200
CVC Credit Partners, L.P. [Member] | Financial fund management [Member] | RFIG Partnership [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Investments in unconsolidated entities							2,600
CVC Credit Partners, L.P. [Member] | Financial fund management [Member] | RCM Global Manager, LLC [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Investments in unconsolidated entities							$ 919
Subsequent Event [Member] | Innovation Office REIT [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Cost method investment					$ 2,000	$ 200
Subsequent Event [Member] | Pearlmark Real Estate Partners [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Cost method investment						$ 1,000