Note 28 - Consolidating Financial Statements - Condensed Consolidating Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ (18,891)	$ 22,647
Purchases of fixed assets	(1,388)	(1,153)
Purchases of other investments	(12,604)	(1,921)
Sales or distributions from other investments	10,441	14,042
Funding of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued	(35,153)	(434,820)
Funding of loans held for investment	(25,679)	(339,874)
Sale, payoff and principal receipts of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued	23,806	399,161
Sale, payoff and principal receipts on loans held for investment	7,941	29,516
Net decrease in cash and restricted cash due to deconsolidation of subsidiaries	(27,771)
Investment in subsidiary
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(60,448)	(335,049)
Repayment of bonds payable	(35,925)	(9,980)
Proceeds from bond issuance	36,000
Proceeds from drawdowns on CLO warehouse facilities	16,583	286,250
Repayment of note payable	(10,600)	(325,000)
Proceeds from drawdowns on line of credit	16,583	286,250
Payment of debt issuance costs	(1,887)	(1,897)
Repayment of asset-backed securities issued	(801)	(332,379)
Repayment of notes payable
Distributions and distribution equivalents paid on common shares and RSUs	(3,526)	(7,874)
Purchase of common shares for treasury	(8,615)	(3,250)
Distributions to non-controlling interest shareholders	(977)	(2,414)
Employee taxes paid on shares withheld for tax-withholding purposes	(554)	(405)
Capital contributions of nonredeemable non-controlling interest holders		449
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(2,552)	307,889
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(81,891)	(4,513)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	132,808	137,321
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	50,917	132,808
Proceeds from issuance of repurchase agreement		3,878
Proceeds from sale of note payable to affiliate		829
Repayment of repurchase agreement		(3,878)
Proceeds of issuance from asset-backed securities issued		699,107
Reissuance of asset-back securities		4,453
Purchase of subsidiary shares from non-controlling interest holders
Capital contributions of parent
BNP Paribas [Member]
Proceeds from drawdowns on CLO warehouse facilities	7,750	286,250
Repayment of note payable		(325,000)
Proceeds from drawdowns on line of credit	7,750	286,250
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	3,667	10,905
Purchases of fixed assets
Purchases of other investments	(499)	(5,896)
Sales or distributions from other investments	1,464	13,394
Funding of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued
Funding of loans held for investment	(1,136)	(678)
Sale, payoff and principal receipts of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued
Sale, payoff and principal receipts on loans held for investment	1,021	2,881
Net decrease in cash and restricted cash due to deconsolidation of subsidiaries
Investment in subsidiary	48,446	37,106
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	49,296	46,807
Repayment of bonds payable
Proceeds from bond issuance	36,000
Proceeds from drawdowns on CLO warehouse facilities
Repayment of note payable
Proceeds from drawdowns on line of credit
Payment of debt issuance costs	(1,722)
Repayment of asset-backed securities issued		(4,453)
Repayment of notes payable	(20,500)	(10,000)
Distributions and distribution equivalents paid on common shares and RSUs	(3,526)	(7,874)
Purchase of common shares for treasury	(8,615)	(3,250)
Distributions to non-controlling interest shareholders	(912)	(2,304)
Employee taxes paid on shares withheld for tax-withholding purposes	(554)	(405)
Capital contributions of nonredeemable non-controlling interest holders	(54,817)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(54,646)	(66,481)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(1,683)	(8,769)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	4,863	13,632
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	3,180	4,863
Proceeds from issuance of repurchase agreement		3,878
Proceeds from sale of note payable to affiliate
Repayment of repurchase agreement		(3,878)
Proceeds of issuance from asset-backed securities issued
Reissuance of asset-back securities		4,411
Purchase of subsidiary shares from non-controlling interest holders		(656)
Capital contributions of parent		(41,950)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Parent Company [Member] | BNP Paribas [Member]
Proceeds from drawdowns on CLO warehouse facilities
Proceeds from drawdowns on line of credit
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Subsidiary Issuer [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(1,494)	12,064
Purchases of fixed assets
Purchases of other investments	(871)	(431)
Sales or distributions from other investments	830	1,189
Funding of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued
Funding of loans held for investment	(963)
Sale, payoff and principal receipts of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued
Sale, payoff and principal receipts on loans held for investment	7
Net decrease in cash and restricted cash due to deconsolidation of subsidiaries
Investment in subsidiary	7,262	(6,652)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	6,265	(5,894)
Repayment of bonds payable	(36,000)	(9,980)
Proceeds from bond issuance
Proceeds from drawdowns on CLO warehouse facilities
Repayment of note payable
Proceeds from drawdowns on line of credit
Payment of debt issuance costs	(52)	(203)
Repayment of asset-backed securities issued
Repayment of notes payable
Distributions and distribution equivalents paid on common shares and RSUs
Purchase of common shares for treasury
Distributions to non-controlling interest shareholders
Employee taxes paid on shares withheld for tax-withholding purposes
Capital contributions of nonredeemable non-controlling interest holders	31,970
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(4,082)	(2,484)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	689	3,686
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	9,976	6,290
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	10,665	9,976
Proceeds from issuance of repurchase agreement
Proceeds from sale of note payable to affiliate
Repayment of repurchase agreement
Proceeds of issuance from asset-backed securities issued
Reissuance of asset-back securities
Purchase of subsidiary shares from non-controlling interest holders
Capital contributions of parent		7,699
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Subsidiary Issuer [Member] | BNP Paribas [Member]
Proceeds from drawdowns on CLO warehouse facilities
Proceeds from drawdowns on line of credit
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	826	34,578
Purchases of fixed assets	(1,388)	(1,153)
Purchases of other investments	(11,234)	(47)
Sales or distributions from other investments	9,028	3,870
Funding of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued	(35,153)	(434,820)
Funding of loans held for investment	(23,580)	(339,196)
Sale, payoff and principal receipts of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued	23,806	399,161
Sale, payoff and principal receipts on loans held for investment	6,872	26,635
Net decrease in cash and restricted cash due to deconsolidation of subsidiaries	(27,771)
Investment in subsidiary
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(59,420)	(345,550)
Repayment of bonds payable
Proceeds from bond issuance
Proceeds from drawdowns on CLO warehouse facilities	16,583	286,250
Repayment of note payable	(10,600)	(325,000)
Proceeds from drawdowns on line of credit	16,583	286,250
Payment of debt issuance costs	(113)	(1,715)
Repayment of asset-backed securities issued	(1,679)	(327,926)
Repayment of notes payable	(5,000)
Distributions and distribution equivalents paid on common shares and RSUs
Purchase of common shares for treasury
Distributions to non-controlling interest shareholders	(65)	(110)
Employee taxes paid on shares withheld for tax-withholding purposes
Capital contributions of nonredeemable non-controlling interest holders	(29,178)	449
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(22,302)	311,542
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(80,896)	570
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	117,969	117,399
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	37,073	117,969
Proceeds from issuance of repurchase agreement
Proceeds from sale of note payable to affiliate		829
Repayment of repurchase agreement
Proceeds of issuance from asset-backed securities issued		699,107
Reissuance of asset-back securities		42
Purchase of subsidiary shares from non-controlling interest holders		656
Capital contributions of parent		(21,040)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] | BNP Paribas [Member]
Proceeds from drawdowns on CLO warehouse facilities	7,750
Proceeds from drawdowns on line of credit	7,750
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(21,890)	(34,900)
Purchases of fixed assets
Purchases of other investments		4,453
Sales or distributions from other investments	(881)	(4,411)
Funding of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued
Funding of loans held for investment
Sale, payoff and principal receipts of loans collateralizing asset-backed securities issued
Sale, payoff and principal receipts on loans held for investment
Net decrease in cash and restricted cash due to deconsolidation of subsidiaries
Investment in subsidiary	(55,708)	(30,454)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(56,589)	(30,412)
Repayment of bonds payable	75
Proceeds from bond issuance
Proceeds from drawdowns on CLO warehouse facilities
Repayment of note payable
Proceeds from drawdowns on line of credit
Payment of debt issuance costs		21
Repayment of asset-backed securities issued	878
Repayment of notes payable	25,500	10,000
Distributions and distribution equivalents paid on common shares and RSUs
Purchase of common shares for treasury
Distributions to non-controlling interest shareholders
Employee taxes paid on shares withheld for tax-withholding purposes
Capital contributions of nonredeemable non-controlling interest holders	52,025
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	78,478	65,312
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period
Proceeds from issuance of repurchase agreement
Proceeds from sale of note payable to affiliate
Repayment of repurchase agreement
Proceeds of issuance from asset-backed securities issued
Reissuance of asset-back securities
Purchase of subsidiary shares from non-controlling interest holders
Capital contributions of parent		$ 55,291
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | BNP Paribas [Member]
Proceeds from drawdowns on CLO warehouse facilities
Proceeds from drawdowns on line of credit