Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows - USD ($)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 95,528,000	$ 74,952,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	39,502,000	28,373,000
Amortization	2,589,000	1,816,000
Straight-line rental income	(18,492,000)	(12,692,000)
Gain on sale of real estate	(1,126,000)	0
Gain on sale of marketable securities	(61,000)	0
Write-off of debt issuance costs	0	2,145,000
Loan recovery	491,000	0
Share-based compensation	1,930,000	1,796,000
Income from equity-method investee	765,000	(157,000)
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Equity-method investment and other assets	(693,000)	4,000
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(56,000)	(493,000)
Deferred income	1,401,000	(2,529,000)
Net cash provided by operating activities	120,796,000	93,215,000
Cash flows from investing activities:
Investment in mortgage and other notes receivable	(73,092,000)	(1,439,000)
Collection of mortgage and other notes receivable	19,128,000	1,350,000
Investment in real estate	(104,066,000)	(35,688,000)
Investment in real estate development	(8,807,000)	(6,022,000)
Investment in renovations of existing real estate	(2,757,000)	(3,078,000)
Payment of real estate purchase liability	0	(1,600,000)
Proceeds from disposition of real estate properties	9,593,000	0
Purchases of marketable securities	(2,495,000)	0
Proceeds from sales of marketable securities	3,750,000	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(158,746,000)	(46,477,000)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in borrowings under revolving credit facilities	(157,000,000)	(86,000,000)
Proceeds from convertible senior notes	0	200,000,000
Proceeds from issuance of secured debt	78,084,000	38,007,000
Borrowings on term loan	225,000,000	130,000,000
Payments on term loans	(554,000)	(250,815,000)
Debt issuance costs	(2,362,000)	(8,899,000)
Equity offerring costs	(275,000)	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	(1,000)	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interest	(1,308,000)	(1,589,000)
Dividends paid to stockholders	(92,726,000)	(75,195,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	48,860,000	(54,491,000)
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	10,910,000	(7,753,000)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	3,287,000	$ 11,312,000
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	$ 14,197,000