Segment Reporting (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended					3 Months Ended						6 Months Ended						3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended					3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended					3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended					3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011		Dec. 31, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012 LNR Property LLC ("LNR")	Mar. 31, 2012 LNR Property LLC ("LNR")		Jun. 30, 2011 LNR Property LLC ("LNR")	Mar. 31, 2011 LNR Property LLC ("LNR")		Jun. 30, 2012 LNR Property LLC ("LNR")	Mar. 31, 2012 LNR Property LLC ("LNR")		Jun. 30, 2011 LNR Property LLC ("LNR")	Mar. 31, 2011 LNR Property LLC ("LNR")		Jun. 30, 2012 Real Estate Lending		Jun. 30, 2011 Real Estate Lending		Jun. 30, 2012 Real Estate Lending		Jun. 30, 2011 Real Estate Lending		Dec. 31, 2011 Real Estate Lending	Jun. 30, 2012 Net Leasing		Jun. 30, 2011 Net Leasing		Jun. 30, 2012 Net Leasing		Jun. 30, 2011 Net Leasing		Dec. 31, 2011 Net Leasing	Jun. 30, 2012 Real Estate Investment		Jun. 30, 2011 Real Estate Investment		Jun. 30, 2012 Real Estate Investment		Jun. 30, 2011 Real Estate Investment		Dec. 31, 2011 Real Estate Investment	Jun. 30, 2012 Corporate/Other		Jun. 30, 2011 Corporate/Other		Jun. 30, 2012 Corporate/Other		Jun. 30, 2011 Corporate/Other		Dec. 31, 2011 Corporate/Other
Segment Reporting
Total revenue	$ 96,721	[1]	$ 125,426	[1]	$ 188,690	[1]	$ 232,981	[1]														$ 43,244	[1]	$ 80,848	[1]	$ 80,513	[1]	$ 141,983	[1]		$ 37,928	[1]	$ 37,641	[1]	$ 76,408	[1]	$ 75,754	[1]		$ 14,756	[1]	$ 6,687	[1]	$ 29,150	[1]	$ 14,149	[1]		$ 793	[1],[2]	$ 250	[1],[2]	$ 2,619	[1],[2]	$ 1,095	[1],[2]
Earnings from equity method investments	18,420		19,131		53,206		44,064			8,674	8,674	[3],[4]	10,079	10,079	[3],[4]	20,811	20,811	[3],[4]	24,064	24,064	[3],[4]	0		0		0		0			649		631		1,295		1,269			8,070		(5,450)		14,195		(5,450)			9,701	[2]	23,950	[2]	37,716	[2]	48,245	[2]
Income from sales of residential property	13,266		0		19,999		0															0				0					0				0					13,266				19,999					0	[2]			0
Operating costs	(31,296)		(22,845)		(56,986)		(47,640)															(1,512)		935		(2,427)		(315)			(4,965)		(4,384)		(8,127)		(8,670)			(22,425)		(18,002)		(44,498)		(35,789)			(2,394)	[2]	(1,394)	[2]	(1,934)	[2]	(2,866)	[2]
Direct segment profit	97,111		121,712		204,909		229,405															41,732		81,783		78,086		141,668			33,612		33,888		69,576		68,353			13,667		(16,765)		18,846		(27,090)			8,100	[2]	22,806	[2]	38,401	[2]	46,474	[2]
Allocated interest expense	(94,474)		(95,753)		(179,818)		(164,846)															(35,129)		(47,557)		(69,373)		(84,322)			(24,513)		(21,713)		(46,077)		(36,731)			(29,347)		(19,964)		(54,120)		(33,046)			(5,485)	[2]	(6,519)	[2]	(10,248)	[2]	(10,747)	[2]
Allocated general and administrative(3)	(16,345)	[5]	(21,385)	[5]	(34,524)	[5]	(41,630)	[5]														(3,741)	[5]	(5,416)	[5]	(8,320)	[5]	(10,892)	[5]		(2,639)	[5]	(2,589)	[5]	(5,653)	[5]	(4,946)	[5]		(3,126)	[5]	(2,274)	[5]	(6,490)	[5]	(4,269)	[5]		(6,839)	[2],[5]	(11,106)	[2],[5]	(14,061)	[2],[5]	(21,523)	[2],[5]
Segment profit (loss)	(13,708)	[6]	4,574	[6]	(9,433)	[6]	22,929	[6]														2,862	[6]	28,810	[6]	393	[6]	46,454	[6]		6,460	[6]	9,586	[6]	17,846	[6]	26,676	[6]		(18,806)	[6]	(39,003)	[6]	(41,764)	[6]	(64,405)	[6]		(4,224)	[2],[6]	5,181	[2],[6]	14,092	[2],[6]	14,204	[2],[6]
Other significant non-cash items:
Provision for loan losses	26,531		10,350		44,031		21,230															26,531		10,350		44,031		21,230			0		0		0		0			0		0		0		0			0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Impairment of assets	7,496		2,764		23,000		4,254															0		0		0		0			6,150		0		19,700		0			1,346		2,764		3,850		3,381			0	[2]	0	[2]	(550)	[2]	873	[2]
Depreciation and amortization	16,960		15,011		33,475		29,824															0		0		0		0			11,828		12,689		23,948		25,214			4,690		1,804		8,440		3,554			442	[2]	518	[2]	1,087	[2]	1,056	[2]
Capitalized expenditures	21,635		11,706		32,714		20,868															0		0		0		0			2,693		2,736		2,988		4,902			18,942		8,970		29,726		15,966			0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Total assets	7,186,212				7,186,212				7,517,837													2,333,405				2,333,405				2,892,240	1,683,703				1,683,703				1,837,425	2,058,264				2,058,264				1,982,420	1,110,840	[2]			1,110,840	[2]			805,752	[2]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 3,447		$ 4,314		$ 8,113		$ 8,469

[1] Total revenue represents all revenue earned during the period related to the assets in each segment. Revenue from the Real Estate Lending segment primarily represents interest income, revenue from the Net Leasing segment primarily represents operating lease income and revenue from Real Estate Investment primarily represents operating revenues from REHI properties.

[2] Corporate/Other represents all corporate level and unallocated items including any intercompany eliminations necessary to reconcile to consolidated Company totals. This caption also includes the Company's joint venture investments and strategic investments that are not related to the other reportable segments above, including the Company's equity investment in LNR of $176.6 million and $159.8 million, as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively, and the Company's share of equity in earnings from LNR of $8.7 million and $20.8 million, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2012, respectively, and $10.1 million and $24.1 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011. See Note 7 for further details on the Company's investment in LNR and summarized financial information of LNR.

[3] The Company records its investment in LNR on a one quarter lag, therefore, amounts in the Company's financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 are based on balances and results from LNR for the three and six months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

[4] LNR consolidates certain commercial mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligation trusts that are considered VIEs (and for which it is the primary beneficiary), that have been excluded from the amounts presented above. As of March 31, 2012 and September 30, 2011, the assets of these trusts, which aggregate approximately $85.19 billion and $126.66 billion, respectively, are the sole source of repayment of the related liabilities, which aggregate approximately $84.92 billion and $126.64 billion, respectively, and are non-recourse to LNR and its equity holders, including the Company. In addition, total revenue presented above includes $16.3 million and $30.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively, of servicing fee revenue that is eliminated upon consolidation of the VIE's at the LNR level. This income is then added back through consolidation at the LNR level as an adjustment to income allocable to noncontrolling entities and has no net impact on net income attributable to LNR.

[5] General and administrative excludes stock-based compensation expense of $3.4 million and $8.1 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2012, respectively, and $4.3 million and $8.5 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 respectively.

[6] The following is a reconciliation of segment profit (loss) to income (loss) from continuing operations ($ in thousands): For the Three MonthsEnded June 30, For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2012 2011 2012 2011Segment profit (loss)$(13,708) $4,574 $(9,433) $22,929Less: Provision for loan losses(26,531) (10,350) (44,031) (21,230)Less: Impairment of assets(7,496) (2,764) (23,000) (4,254)Less: Stock-based compensation expense(3,447) (4,314) (8,113) (8,469)Less: Depreciation and amortization(16,960) (15,011) (33,475) (29,824)Less: Income tax (expense) benefit(3,477) 2,675 (4,748) (8,377)Less: Income from sales of residential property(13,266) — (19,999) —Add: Gain (loss) on early extinguishment of debt, net(4,868) (1,047) (3,164) 105,556Income (loss) from continuing operations$(89,753) $(26,237) $(145,963) $56,331