DEBT OBLIGATIONS (Details)									12 Months Ended
	Oct. 25, 2015 USD ($) Extension	Aug. 14, 2015 Extension	Jun. 26, 2015 USD ($)	Apr. 10, 2015 Extension	Feb. 19, 2015 Extension	Oct. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Feb. 11, 2014 USD ($) Extension	Jan. 24, 2013 USD ($) Financing_Counterparty	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) agreement	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) agreement	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($) agreement	Oct. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Apr. 29, 2014 USD ($)	Apr. 28, 2014 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amortization of premiums									$ (902,000)	$ (629,000)	$ (534,000)
Restricted equity from payment as dividend									900,300,000
Debt obligations outstanding									1,260,755,000	1,431,665,000
Tuebor
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount restricted from transfer									404,000,000
Revolving credit facility | One-Month LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Committed amount on credit agreement							$ 75,000,000
Debt borrowings term							3 years
Number of extension maturity periods | Extension							2
Length of extension options							12 months
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)							3.50%
Letters of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Committed amount on credit agreement							$ 25,000,000
Term master repurchase agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Committed amount on master repurchase agreement									$ 300,000,000
Number of extension executed | Extension					1
Committed master repurchase agreements
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of agreements | agreement									4
Committed amount on master repurchase agreement									$ 1,485,000,000	1,150,000,000		$ 450,000,000	$ 450,000,000	$ 300,000,000
Debt obligations outstanding									$ 704,149,000	509,023,000
Uncommitted securities repurchase facilities | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Advance rates (as a percent)									65.00%
Uncommitted securities repurchase facilities | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Advance rates (as a percent)									95.00%
1/2016 | Uncommitted securities repurchase facilities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations outstanding									$ 394,719,000
1/2016 | Uncommitted securities repurchase facilities | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate(s) (as a percent)									0.73%
1/2016 | Uncommitted securities repurchase facilities | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate(s) (as a percent)									2.02%
5/24/2016 | Committed master repurchase agreements
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Committed amount on master repurchase agreement									$ 450,000,000
Length of extension options									12 months
Debt obligations outstanding									$ 269,779,000
5/24/2016 | Committed master repurchase agreements | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate(s) (as a percent)									2.58%
5/24/2016 | Committed master repurchase agreements | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate(s) (as a percent)									4.33%
5/24/2016 | Committed master repurchase agreements | Consolidated Subsidiaries
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations outstanding									$ 28,200,000
Maturity 30 to 90 Days | Committed master repurchase agreements
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Committed amount on master repurchase agreement												$ 650,000,000
4/10/2019 | Term master repurchase agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of extension executed | Extension				1
10/30/2016 | Committed master repurchase agreements
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Committed amount on master repurchase agreement									$ 600,000,000	$ 450,000,000
Number of extension executed | Extension		1
Length of extension options									12 months	12 months
Debt obligations outstanding									$ 229,533,000	$ 147,796,000
10/30/2016 | Committed master repurchase agreements | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate(s) (as a percent)									2.08%	2.42%
10/30/2016 | Committed master repurchase agreements | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate(s) (as a percent)									2.93%	2.66%
10/24/2016 | Committed master repurchase agreements
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate(s) (as a percent)									3.02%
Committed amount on master repurchase agreement	$ 35,000,000								$ 35,000,000
Number of extension maturity periods | Extension	2
Length of extension options	6 months
Debt obligations outstanding									575,000
10/24/2016 | Committed master repurchase agreements | Consolidated Subsidiaries
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations outstanding									800,000
4/10/2016 | Committed master repurchase agreements
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Committed amount on master repurchase agreement									$ 400,000,000	$ 250,000,000
Length of extension options									364 days	364 days
Debt obligations outstanding									$ 204,262,000	$ 138,711,000
4/10/2016 | Committed master repurchase agreements | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate(s) (as a percent)									2.44%	2.41%
4/10/2016 | Committed master repurchase agreements | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate(s) (as a percent)									4.33%	3.04%
4/10/2016 | Committed master repurchase agreements | Consolidated Subsidiaries
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations outstanding									$ 36,500,000
Credit Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Committed amount on credit agreement								$ 50,000,000
Number of multiple committed financing counterparties | Financing_Counterparty								1
Credit Agreement | One-Month LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)								2.75%
Mortgage loan financing
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of agreements | agreement									51	5	16
Stated interest rate, minimum (as a percent)									4.25%
Borrowing under credit and security agreement									$ 544,700,000
Stated interest rate, maximum (as a percent)									6.75%
Mortgage loan financing										$ 447,400,000
Net unamortized premiums									$ 6,100,000	5,300,000
Amortization of premiums									900,000	600,000	$ 500,000
Pledged assets, real estate and lease intangibles, net									$ 711,100,000	$ 591,600,000
Borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank | Tuebor
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt borrowings term									8 years	10 years
Stated interest rate, minimum (as a percent)									0.28%	0.30%
Stated interest rate, maximum (as a percent)									2.74%	2.74%
Weighted average interest rate									0.84%	0.79%
Weighted average term									1 year 5 months 1 day	2 years 18 days
Maximum advance limit			$ 2,900,000,000
FHLB borrowings outstanding									$ 1,900,000,000	$ 1,600,000,000
Additional committed term financing available from FHLB									$ 380,400,000	$ 289,000,000
Borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank | Tuebor | Ladder Capital Corp
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Advance rates of total assets (as a percent)			40.00%
Advance rates of total equity (as a percent)			150.00%
Borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank | Tuebor | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Advance rates (as a percent)									58.70%	50.00%
Borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank | Tuebor | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Advance rates (as a percent)									95.20%	95.20%
Borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank | Tuebor | CMBS and U.S. Agency Securities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Collateral for debt instrument									$ 1,700,000,000	$ 1,600,000,000
Borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank | Tuebor | First mortgage commercial real estate loans
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Collateral for debt instrument									568,200,000	451,800,000
Credit and Security Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, aggregate amount						$ 46,750,000
Credit and Security Agreement | One-Month LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (as a percent)						1.85%
Credit Agreement and Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance costs									$ 3,400,000	$ 4,000,000