Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Parenthetical) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2011 Controlling interest in land located in Kent, Washington [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Office portfolio 200,000 square feet, located in Oakland, California [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Foreclosure of five assets in consolidated loan portfolio [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Consolidation of controlling interest in Fairways 340, Llc previously accounted for under the Equity Method [Member]
Declared Dividends Common Stock	$ 2,073,000
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing activities:
Tax on unrealized (loss) gain on securities	2,132,000	(129,000)
Increase in real estate	(2,680,000)	(35,800,000)		(17,680,000)	(15,938,000)	(28,464,000)
Increase (decrease) in accounts payable	207,000	501,000		87,000
Increase in accrued expenses and other liabilites	12,093,000	410,000		991,000		323,000
Increase in mortgage loans payable	17,076,000	30,286,000		16,000,000		32,670,000
Square footage of acquired office portfolio				200,000
Decrease in real estate	0	58,027,000	696,000
Increase (decrease) in accounts receivable	(973,000)	204,000		(44,000)	(15,938,000)	(171,000)
Increase in prepaid expense and other assets				(50,000)
Increase (decrease) in investment in joint ventures						(3,292,000)
Increase in other assets	(3,849,000)	(2,893,000)				(3,174,000)
Decrease in notes receivable due to foreclosure	9,496,000
Increase in real estate due to foreclosures	9,496,000
Issued common stock to institutional investor, shares	4,400,000
Common stock issue price per share	$ 10.70
Common stock market price per share	$ 12.20
Contractual rights additional common stock issued, shares	400,000
Non-cash preferred dividend	600,000
Decrease in proceeds from the sale of real estate due to debt assumption by buyer		2,025,000
Decrease in repayment of mortgage loans payable due to debt assumption by buyer		2,025,000
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Deconsolidation	6,993,000
Bank of Ireland stock	2,843,000
Note receivable converted to real estate	$ 1,400,000