Note 6 - Real Estate Held for Investment (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012 acre	Jun. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 acre	Sep. 30, 2011	Oct. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Depreciation	$ 0	$ 315,000		$ 777,000	$ 1,670,000	$ 2,096,000
Number of Real Estate Properties			6					6	19
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Foreclosures			2,200,000					33,427,406
Loans secured by trust deeds, allowance for losses (in Dollars)	24,941,076	24,389,506	25,404,880	26,219,516	24,389,506	26,219,516	24,941,076	25,404,880			24,541,897	36,068,515
Real Estate, Improvements			530,000
Impairment of Real Estate	614,786		5,193,321				1,033,266	5,484,923
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Number of Loans	2		2				1
	2,057,419			103,000		103,000	2,057,419				1,455,846
Real Estate Investment Property, Net	68,179,936						68,179,936			256,000	131,620,987
Proceeds from Sale of Real Estate Held-for-investment		25,000					330,000
Payments of Management Fees							50,000
Gains (Losses) on Sales of Investment Real Estate	1,859,230	12,000					1,847,613
Area of Real Estate Property (in Acres)	40						40
Additional [Member] | 12 Condominium and 3 Commercial Units, Tacoma, Washington (Held Within Broadway & Commerce, LLC) [Member]
Loans secured by trust deeds, allowance for losses (in Dollars)				7,000		7,000
Foreclosed On [Member] | Industrial Building Located in Chico, California [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Foreclosures								8,500,000
Foreclosed On [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Number of Loans								8
Advances [Member] | Industrial Building Located in Chico, California [Member]
			588,000					588,000
6 Improved Residential Lots, Coeur D’Alene, Idaho [Member]
Loans secured by trust deeds, allowance for losses (in Dollars)				426,000		426,000
Impairment of Real Estate	372,400		530,000				372,400	530,000
Real Estate Investment Property, Net	969,600						969,600				1,342,000
12 Condominium and 3 Commercial Units, Tacoma, Washington (Held Within Broadway & Commerce, LLC) [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Foreclosures			3,500,000
Loans secured by trust deeds, allowance for losses (in Dollars)				1,110,000		1,110,000
Real Estate Investment Property, Net	2,444,322						2,444,322				2,466,328
Dation, LLC [Member]
Proceeds from Sale of Real Estate Held-for-investment							1,650,000
Mortgage Loan Related to Property Sales							1,320,000
Payments of Management Fees							147,000
Retail Complex, Greeley, Colorado (Held Within 720 University, LLC) [Member]
Real Estate Investment Property, Net	12,071,000						12,071,000				12,308,000
Minimum [Member]
Remaining Lease Term	1 year						1 year
Maximum [Member]
Remaining Lease Term	15 years						15 years
Two Improved Residential Lots, West Sacramento, California [Member]
Impairment of Real Estate			530,000
Industrial Building Located in Chico, California [Member]
Real Estate Investment Property, Net			9,088,000					9,088,000
Dation, LLC [Member]
Payments of Management Fees							97,000
720 [Member]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent			65.00%					65.00%
Priority Return on Partner Contributions, Allocation Rate			10.00%					10.00%
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Attributable to Parent	120,000		88,000				208,000	95,000
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	109,000		141,000				331,000	371,000
Noncontrolling Interest in Joint Ventures	(4,000)						(4,000)				5,000
General Partner [Member]
Loans secured by trust deeds, allowance for losses (in Dollars)			$ 2,000					$ 2,000