Note 7 - Use of Special Purpose Entities and Variable Interest Entities (Details) - Assets and Liabilities of Consolidated VIEs (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Investment securities available for sale, at fair value held in securitization trusts	$ 38,379		$ 92,578
Residential mortgage loans held in securitization trusts (net)	152,902		163,237
Multi-family loans held in securitization trusts, at fair value	8,303,169		8,111,022
Receivables and other assets	172,539		135,286
Total assets	10,052,252	[1]	9,898,675	[1]
Securitized debt	237,413		304,964
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	64,434		54,466
Total liabilities	9,343,875	[1]	9,418,009	[1]
Multi-Family Collateralized Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Residential Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Collateralized debt obligations		[2]		[3]
Multi-Family Collateralized Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Multi-Family Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Collateralized debt obligations	1,214,324	[2]	1,195,637	[3]
Multi-Family Collateralized Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Residential Mortgage Loans Held in Securitization Trusts, Net [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Residential mortgage loans held in securitization trusts (net)		[2]		[3]
Multi-Family Collateralized Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Residential Distressed Mortgage Loans Held in Securitization Trust [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Residential mortgage loans held in securitization trusts (net)		[2]		[3]
Multi-Family Collateralized Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Investment securities available for sale, at fair value held in securitization trusts	38,379	[2]	29,289	[3]
Multi-family loans held in securitization trusts, at fair value	1,265,620	[2]	1,234,084	[3]
Receivables and other assets	4,988	[2]	5,241	[3]
Total assets	1,308,987	[2]	1,268,614	[3]
Securitized debt	27,548	[2],[4],[5]	27,240	[3],[4],[5]
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	4,450	[2]	4,640	[3]
Total liabilities	1,246,322	[2]	1,227,517	[3]
Collateralized Recourse Financing [Member] | Residential Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Collateralized debt obligations		[6]		[7]
Collateralized Recourse Financing [Member] | Multi-Family Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Collateralized debt obligations	4,502,772	[6]	6,675,383	[7]
Collateralized Recourse Financing [Member] | Residential Mortgage Loans Held in Securitization Trusts, Net [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Residential mortgage loans held in securitization trusts (net)		[6]		[7]
Collateralized Recourse Financing [Member] | Residential Distressed Mortgage Loans Held in Securitization Trust [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Residential mortgage loans held in securitization trusts (net)		[6]		[7]
Collateralized Recourse Financing [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Investment securities available for sale, at fair value held in securitization trusts		[6]	63,289	[7]
Multi-family loans held in securitization trusts, at fair value	4,654,533	[6]	6,876,938	[7]
Receivables and other assets	15,331	[6]	27,198	[7]
Total assets	4,669,864	[6]	6,967,425	[7]
Securitized debt	55,853	[6]	107,853	[7]
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	14,286	[6]	25,315	[7]
Total liabilities	4,572,911	[6]	6,808,551	[7]
Residential Distressed Mortgage Loan Securitization [Member] | Residential Distressed Mortgage Loans Held in Securitization Trust [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Residential mortgage loans held in securitization trusts (net)	247,175		254,721
Residential Distressed Mortgage Loan Securitization [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Receivables and other assets	13,497		10,072
Total assets	260,672		264,793
Securitized debt	154,012		169,871
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	146		981
Total liabilities	154,158		170,852
Residential Mortgage Loans Held in Securitization Trusts, Net [Member] | Residential Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Collateralized debt obligations	148,298		158,410
Residential Mortgage Loans Held in Securitization Trusts, Net [Member] | Residential Mortgage Loans Held in Securitization Trusts, Net [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Residential mortgage loans held in securitization trusts (net)	152,902		163,237
Residential Mortgage Loans Held in Securitization Trusts, Net [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Receivables and other assets	1,184		1,760
Total assets	154,086		164,997
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	13		15
Total liabilities	148,311		158,425
Non-Financings, Multi-Family CMBS [Member] | Multi-Family Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Collateralized debt obligations	2,287,917
Non-Financings, Multi-Family CMBS [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Multi-family loans held in securitization trusts, at fair value	2,383,016
Receivables and other assets	10,216
Total assets	2,393,232
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	10,118
Total liabilities	2,298,035
Financing and Non-Financing VIEs [Member] | Residential Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Collateralized debt obligations	148,298
Financing and Non-Financing VIEs [Member] | Multi-Family Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Collateralized debt obligations	8,005,013
Financing and Non-Financing VIEs [Member] | Residential Mortgage Loans Held in Securitization Trusts, Net [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Residential mortgage loans held in securitization trusts (net)	152,902
Financing and Non-Financing VIEs [Member] | Residential Distressed Mortgage Loans Held in Securitization Trust [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Residential mortgage loans held in securitization trusts (net)	247,175
Financing and Non-Financing VIEs [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Investment securities available for sale, at fair value held in securitization trusts	38,379
Multi-family loans held in securitization trusts, at fair value	8,303,169
Receivables and other assets	45,216
Total assets	8,786,841
Securitized debt	237,413
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	29,013
Total liabilities	8,419,737
Financing VIE [Member] | Residential Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Collateralized debt obligations			158,410
Financing VIE [Member] | Multi-Family Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Collateralized debt obligations			7,871,020
Financing VIE [Member] | Residential Mortgage Loans Held in Securitization Trusts, Net [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Residential mortgage loans held in securitization trusts (net)			163,237
Financing VIE [Member] | Residential Distressed Mortgage Loans Held in Securitization Trust [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Residential mortgage loans held in securitization trusts (net)			254,721
Financing VIE [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Investment securities available for sale, at fair value held in securitization trusts			92,578
Multi-family loans held in securitization trusts, at fair value			8,111,022
Receivables and other assets			44,271
Total assets			8,665,829
Securitized debt	237,413		304,964
Accrued expenses and other liabilities			30,951
Total liabilities			8,365,345
Residential Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Collateralized debt obligations	148,298		158,410
Multi-Family Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Collateralized debt obligations	$ 8,005,013		$ 7,871,020

[1] Our consolidated balance sheets include assets and liabilities of consolidated variable interest entities ("VIEs") as the Company is the primary beneficiary of these VIEs. As of June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, assets of consolidated VIEs totaled $8,942,214 and $8,665,829, respectively, and the liabilities of consolidated VIEs totaled $8,589,402 and $8,365,345, respectively. See Note 7 for further discussion.

[2] The Company classified the multi-family CMBS issued by two K-Series securitizations and held by this Financing VIE as available for sale securities as the purpose is not to trade these securities. The Financing VIE consolidated one K-Series securitization that issued certain of the multi-family CMBS owned by the Company, including its assets, liabilities, income and expenses, in its financial statements, as based on a number of factors, the Company determined that it was the primary beneficiary and has a controlling financial interest in this particular K-Series securitization (see Note 6).

[3] The Company classified the multi-family CMBS issued by two K-Series securitizations and held by this Financing VIE as available for sale securities as the purpose is not to trade these securities. The Financing VIE consolidated one K-Series securitization that issued certain of the multi-family CMBS owned by the Company, including its assets, liabilities, income and expenses, in its financial statements, as based on a number of factors, the Company determined that it was the primary beneficiary and has a controlling financialinterest in this particular K-Series securitization (see Note 6).

[4] The Company engaged in the re-securitization transaction primarily for the purpose of obtaining non-recourse financing on a portion of its multi-family CMBS portfolio. As a result of engaging in this transaction, the Company remains economically exposed to the first loss position on the underlying multi-family CMBS transferred to the Consolidated VIE. The holders of the Note have no recourse to the general credit of the Company, but the Company does have the obligation, under certain circumstances, to repurchase assets upon thebreach of certain representations and warranties. The Company will receive all remaining cash flow, if any, through its retained ownership.

[5] Classified as securitized debt in the liability section of the Company's accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

[6] The multi-family CMBS serving as collateral under the November 2013 collateralized recourse financing are comprised of securities issued from three separate Freddie Mac-sponsored multi-family K-Series securitizations. The Financing VIE consolidated these K-Series securitizations, including their assets, liabilities, income and expenses, in its financial statements as based on a number of factors, the Company determined that it was the primary beneficiary and has a controlling financial interest in such K-Series securitizations (see Note 6). In September 2014, the Company repaid the Company's outstanding notes from its collateralized recourse financing transaction completed in November 2012 with a principal amount of $52.0 million. With the repayment of the notes, the Company terminated and deconsolidated the Financing VIE that facilitated the financing transaction and the multi-family CMBS serving as collateral on the notes were transferred back to the Company

[7] The multi-family CMBS serving as collateral under the collateralized recourse financings are comprised of securities issued from seven separate Freddie Mac-sponsored multi-family K-Series securitizations. The Financing VIE classified the multi-family CMBS issued by the two K-Series securitizations and held by the Financing VIE as available for sale securities as the purpose is not to trade these securities. The Financing VIE consolidated five of the K-Series securitizations, including their assets, liabilities, income andexpenses, in its financial statements as based on a number of factors, the Company determined that it was the primary beneficiary and has a controlling financial interest in such K-Series securitizations (see Note 6).