| Segment Reporting Disclosure [Text Block] | SEGMENT REPORTING
The Company has five reportable segments: Core Portfolio, Opportunity Funds, Self-Storage Investments, Notes Receivable and Other. “Notes Receivable” consists of the Company's notes receivable and preferred equity investment and related interest income. “Other” consists primarily of management fees and interest income. The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies. The Company evaluates property performance primarily based on net operating income before depreciation, amortization and certain nonrecurring items. Investments in the Core Portfolio are typically held long-term. Given the contemplated finite life of the Opportunity Funds, these investments are typically held for shorter terms. Fees earned by the Company as the general partner/member of the Opportunity Funds are eliminated in the Company's consolidated financial statements. The following tables set forth certain segment information for the Company, reclassified for discontinued operations, as of and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 (does not include unconsolidated affiliates):
| | 12. | SEGMENT REPORTING (continued) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Three Months Ended September 30, 2011 | (dollars in thousands) | Core Portfolio | | Opportunity Funds | | Self- Storage Investments | | Notes Receivable | | Other | | Amounts Eliminated in Consolidation | | Total | Revenues | $ | 14,278 |
| | $ | 15,151 |
| | $ | 6,127 |
| | $ | 1,585 |
| | $ | 5,537 |
| | $ | (5,285 | ) | | $ | 37,393 |
| Property operating expenses
and real estate taxes | 4,182 |
| | 5,037 |
| | 3,744 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | (613 | ) | | 12,350 |
| General and administrative | 6,361 |
| | 3,439 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | (4,042 | ) | | 5,758 |
| Income before depreciation, amortization and impairment | $ | 3,735 |
| | $ | 6,675 |
| | $ | 2,383 |
| | $ | 1,585 |
| | $ | 5,537 |
| | $ | (630 | ) | | $ | 19,285 |
| Depreciation and amortization | $ | 3,547 |
| | $ | 3,960 |
| | $ | 1,070 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | (179 | ) | | $ | 8,398 |
| Interest and other finance expense | $ | 3,944 |
| | $ | 4,619 |
| | $ | 882 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | 297 |
| | $ | 9,742 |
| Real estate at cost | $ | 499,349 |
| | $ | 763,565 |
| | $ | 211,912 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | (14,994 | ) | | $ | 1,459,832 |
| Total assets | $ | 614,100 |
| | $ | 875,623 |
| | $ | 191,840 |
| | $ | 41,304 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | (116,400 | ) | | $ | 1,606,467 |
| Expenditures for real estate and improvements | $ | 33,995 |
| | $ | 9,338 |
| | $ | 1,196 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | (738 | ) | | $ | 43,791 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Reconciliation to net income and net income attributable to Common Shareholders | | |
| Net property income before depreciation and amortization | | $ | 19,285 |
| Other interest income | | 105 |
| Depreciation and amortization | | (8,398 | ) | Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates | | 3,110 |
| Interest and other finance expense | | (9,742 | ) | Income tax (benefit) | | (488 | ) | Loss on debt extinguishment | | (303 | ) | Income from discontinued operations | | 102 |
| Net income | | 4,647 |
| Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests | | (636 | ) | Net income attributable to Common Shareholders | | $ | 4,011 |
|
| | 12. | SEGMENT REPORTING (continued) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Three Months Ended September 30, 2010 | (dollars in thousands) | Core Portfolio | | Opportunity Funds | | Self- Storage Investments | | Notes Receivable | | Other | | Amounts Eliminated in Consolidation | | Total | Revenues | $ | 13,996 |
| | $ | 11,355 |
| | $ | 6,703 |
| | $ | 5,206 |
| | $ | 5,442 |
| | $ | (5,114 | ) | | $ | 37,588 |
| Property operating expenses
and real estate taxes | 4,140 |
| | 3,681 |
| | 3,963 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | (374 | ) | | 11,410 |
| General and administrative | 5,911 |
| | 3,284 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | (3,878 | ) | | 5,317 |
| Income before depreciation
and amortization | $ | 3,945 |
| | $ | 4,390 |
| | $ | 2,740 |
| | $ | 5,206 |
| | $ | 5,442 |
| | $ | (862 | ) | | $ | 20,861 |
| Depreciation and amortization | $ | 3,743 |
| | $ | 3,792 |
| | $ | 1,264 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | (112 | ) | | $ | 8,687 |
| Interest and other finance expense | $ | 4,529 |
| | $ | 4,097 |
| | $ | 1,305 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | (27 | ) | | $ | 9,904 |
| Real estate at cost | $ | 440,721 |
| | $ | 677,946 |
| | $ | 209,956 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | (12,869 | ) | | $ | 1,315,754 |
| Total assets | $ | 595,870 |
| | $ | 721,911 |
| | $ | 194,461 |
| | $ | 87,600 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | (121,571 | ) | | $ | 1,478,271 |
| Expenditures for real estate and improvements | $ | 1,194 |
| | $ | 23,090 |
| | $ | 187 |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | — |
| | $ | (853 | ) | | $ | 23,618 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Reconciliation to net income and net income attributable to Common Shareholders | | | Net property income before depreciation and amortization | | $ | 20,861 |
| Other interest income | | 175 |
| Depreciation and amortization | | (8,687 | ) | Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates | | 143 |
| Interest and other finance expense | | (9,904 | ) | Income tax provision | | 785 |
| Income from discontinued operations | | 478 |
| Net income | | 2,281 |
| Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests | | 2,836 |
| Net income attributable to Common Shareholders | | $ | 5,117 |
|
| | 12. | SEGMENT REPORTING (continued) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Nine Months Ended September 30, 2011 | (dollars in thousands) | Core Portfolio | | Opportunity Funds | | Self- Storage Investments | | Notes Receivable | | Other | | Amounts Eliminated in Consolidation | | Total | Revenues | $ | 42,833 |
| | $ | 43,701 |
| | $ | 17,108 |
| | $ | 9,493 |
| | $ | 16,761 |
| | $ | (15,608 | ) | | $ | 114,288 |
| Property operating expenses
and real estate taxes | 12,636 |
| | 14,980 |
| | 10,475 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | (1,734 | ) | | 36,357 |
| General and administrative | 18,318 |
| | 9,441 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | (10,612 | ) | | 17,147 |
| Income before depreciation, amortization and impairment | $ | 11,879 |
| | $ | 19,280 |
| | $ | 6,633 |
| | $ | 9,493 |
| | $ | 16,761 |
| | $ | (3,262 | ) | | $ | 60,784 |
| Depreciation and amortization | $ | 10,474 |
| | $ | 11,647 |
| | $ | 3,089 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | $ | (584 | ) | | $ | 24,626 |
| Interest and other finance expense | $ | 12,295 |
| | $ | 11,857 |
| | $ | 2,722 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | 724 |
| | $ | 27,598 |
| Real estate at cost | $ | 499,349 |
| | $ | 763,565 |
| | $ | 211,912 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | $ | (14,994 | ) | | $ | 1,459,832 |
| Total assets | $ | 614,100 |
| | $ | 875,623 |
| | $ | 191,840 |
| | $ | 41,304 |
| | — |
| | $ | (116,400 | ) | | $ | 1,606,467 |
| Expenditures for real estate and improvements | $ | 67,842 |
| | $ | 67,439 |
| | $ | 2,073 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | $ | (1,645 | ) | | $ | 135,709 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Reconciliation to net income and net income attributable to Common Shareholders | | | Net property income before depreciation and amortization | | $ | 60,784 |
| Other interest income | | 219 |
| Depreciation and amortization | | (24,626 | ) | Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates | | 3,025 |
| Interest and other finance expense | | (27,598 | ) | Income tax provision | | 7 |
| Gain on debt extinguishment | | 1,268 |
| Impairment of asset | | (6,925 | ) | Income from discontinued operations | | 702 |
| Gain on sale of property | | 32,498 |
| Net income | | 39,340 |
| Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests | | 4,328 |
| Net income attributable to Common Shareholders | | $ | 43,668 |
|
12. SEGMENT REPORTING (continued) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Nine Months Ended September 30, 2010 | (dollars in thousands) | Core Portfolio | | Opportunity Funds | | Self- Storage Investments | | Notes Receivable | | Other | | Amounts Eliminated in Consolidation | | Total | Revenues | $ | 42,270 |
| | $ | 33,973 |
| | $ | 16,016 |
| | $ | 15,437 |
| | $ | 15,431 |
| | $ | (14,268 | ) | | $ | 108,859 |
| Property operating expenses and real estate taxes | 12,258 |
| | 11,877 |
| | 10,179 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | (1,088 | ) | | 33,226 |
| General and administrative | 16,971 |
| | 10,210 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | — |
| | (11,329 | ) | | 15,852 |
| Income before depreciation
and amortization | $ | 13,041 |
| | $ | 11,886 |
| | $ | 5,837 |
| | $ | 15,437 |
| | $ | 15,431 |
| | $ | (1,851 | ) | | $ | 59,781 |
| Depreciation and amortization | $ | 10,394 |
| | $ | 10,537 |
| | $ | 3,021 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | $ | (301 | ) | | $ | 23,651 |
| Interest and other finance expense | $ | 13,567 |
| | $ | 11,877 |
| | $ | 3,699 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | (82 | ) | | $ | 29,061 |
| Real estate at cost | $ | 440,721 |
| | $ | 677,946 |
| | $ | 209,956 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | $ | (12,869 | ) | | $ | 1,315,754 |
| Total assets | $ | 595,870 |
| | $ | 721,911 |
| | $ | 194,461 |
| | $ | 87,600 |
| | — |
| | $ | (121,571 | ) | | $ | 1,478,271 |
| Expenditures for real estate and improvements | $ | 2,756 |
| | $ | 58,318 |
| | $ | 1,300 |
| | — |
| | — |
| | $ | (1,822 | ) | | $ | 60,552 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Reconciliation to net income and net income attributable to Common Shareholders | | | Net property income before depreciation and amortization | | $ | 59,781 |
| Other interest income | | 462 |
| Depreciation and amortization | | (23,651 | ) | Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates | | 610 |
| Interest and other finance expense | | (29,061 | ) | Income tax provision | | 1,869 |
| Gain from bargain purchase | | 33,805 |
| Income from discontinued operations | | 1,208 |
| Net income | | 41,285 |
| Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests | | (18,240 | ) | Net income attributable to Common Shareholders | | $ | 23,045 |
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