INVESTMENT IN UNCONSOLIDATED JOINT VENTURES (Details 2) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013 item	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Essex 81 item	Sep. 30, 2012 Hamilton Essex 81	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Essex 81 NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2012 Hamilton Essex 81 NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Essex 81 Apartments item	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Essex 81 Commercial item	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Essex Development item	Sep. 30, 2012 Hamilton Essex Development	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Essex Development NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2012 Hamilton Essex Development NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Essex Development Commercial item	Sep. 30, 2013 345 Franklin item	Sep. 30, 2012 345 Franklin	Nov. 30, 2001 345 Franklin item	Sep. 30, 2013 345 Franklin NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2012 345 Franklin NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2013 345 Franklin Apartments item	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton 1025 item	Sep. 30, 2012 Hamilton 1025	Mar. 02, 2005 Hamilton 1025 item	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton 1025 NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2012 Hamilton 1025 NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton 1025 Apartments item	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton 1025 Commercial item	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Bay Sales item	Sep. 30, 2012 Hamilton Bay Sales	Apr. 30, 2008 Hamilton Bay Sales item	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Bay Sales NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2012 Hamilton Bay Sales NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Bay Sales Apartments item	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Bay Apartments item	Sep. 30, 2012 Hamilton Bay Apartments	Oct. 03, 2005 Hamilton Bay Apartments item	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Bay Apartments NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2012 Hamilton Bay Apartments NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Bay Apartments Apartments item	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Minuteman item	Sep. 30, 2012 Hamilton Minuteman	Sep. 30, 2004 Hamilton Minuteman item	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Minuteman NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2012 Hamilton Minuteman NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Minuteman Apartments item	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton on Main item	Sep. 30, 2012 Hamilton on Main	May 31, 2008 Hamilton on Main item	Aug. 31, 2004 Hamilton on Main item	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton on Main NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2012 Hamilton on Main NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton on Main Apartments item	Sep. 30, 2013 Dexter Park item	Sep. 30, 2012 Dexter Park	Oct. 28, 2009 Dexter Park item	Sep. 30, 2013 Dexter Park NERA 40%	Sep. 30, 2012 Dexter Park NERA 40%	Sep. 30, 2013 Dexter Park Apartments item	Sep. 30, 2013 Total item	Sep. 30, 2012 Total	Sep. 30, 2013 Total NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2012 Total NERA 50%	Sep. 30, 2013 Total NERA 40%	Sep. 30, 2012 Total NERA 40%	Sep. 30, 2013 Total Apartments item	Sep. 30, 2013 Total Commercial item
ASSETS
Rental Properties	$ 154,264,585	$ 94,973,600			$ 8,855,213	$ 9,201,729					$ 2,617,557	$ 2,611,197				$ 7,596,004	$ 7,962,705					$ 5,448,764	$ 5,685,935						$ 1,785,933	$ 1,863,770					$ 6,752,521	$ 7,045,549					$ 6,851,307	$ 7,077,941					$ 20,455,309	$ 21,317,705						$ 103,516,956	$ 108,880,125					$ 163,879,565	$ 171,646,656
Cash & Cash Equivalents	5,259,049	6,981,906	5,322,287	4,050,157	18,578	3,682					24,337	12,525				15,400	57,974					743	66						901	14,203					14,460	98					60,794	42,880					15,593	159,507						919,270	782,730					1,070,076	1,073,665
Rent Receivable	564,197	475,083			25,174	45,283										3,684	905					5,841	7,924						4,019	654					10,560	2,929						4,791					8,402	5,055						72,166	50,229					129,845	117,770
Real Estate Tax Escrow	262,787	449,652			92,679	49,793										39,519	39,686					77,637	71,850												51,134	95,568					38,025	42,857					70,460	109,839						417,391	430,978					786,845	840,573
Prepaid Expenses & Other Assets	5,402,043	3,073,890			89,720	96,118					889	807				43,130	97,491					46,234	102,622						113,082	152,270					28,815	107,997					51,583	76,040					306,657	292,984						1,532,522	1,328,474					2,212,631	2,254,803
Financing & Leasing Fees	1,225,463	1,135,936			51,002	64,805					9,067	5,946				98,213	10,205					15,876	20,902							2,771					21,472	27,833					12,973	16,942					9,435	16,296						355,191	414,507					573,227	580,208
Total Assets	177,630,695	121,538,490			9,132,365	9,461,410					2,651,850	2,630,476				7,795,948	8,168,966					5,595,095	5,889,300						1,903,935	2,033,669					6,878,962	7,279,975					7,014,682	7,261,451					20,865,856	21,901,385						106,813,495	111,887,043					168,652,189	176,513,675
LIABILITIES AND PARTNERS' CAPITAL
Mortgage Notes Payable	191,974,239	138,055,522			8,263,635	8,379,679					2,054,475	2,106,087				10,000,000	6,893,510					4,885,643	4,949,865						1,318,000	1,668,000					4,655,194	4,716,555					5,379,695	5,450,034					15,390,766	15,680,318						87,707,013	88,891,126					139,654,420	138,735,173
Accounts Payable & Accrued Exp	2,751,753	2,361,942			50,122	72,817					5,642	5,870				76,207	146,324					52,855	49,095						21,118	20,272					8,792	6,929					77,740	94,046					188,156	248,055						1,037,568	841,053					1,518,200	1,484,461
Advance Rental Pymts & Security Dep	4,026,643	3,636,704			160,109	148,662										162,242	140,048					86,196	86,764						26,410	23,802					89,430	84,376					73,462	68,652					276,764	267,641						2,107,529	1,837,442					2,982,141	2,657,387
Total Liabilities	198,752,635	144,054,168			8,473,866	8,601,158					2,060,117	2,111,957				10,238,449	7,179,881					5,024,693	5,085,724						1,365,528	1,712,074					4,753,416	4,807,860					5,530,897	5,612,731					15,855,686	16,196,014						90,852,110	91,569,622					144,154,762	142,877,021
Partners' Capital	(21,121,940)	(22,515,678)	(22,424,992)	(21,310,852)	658,500	860,252					591,733	518,519				(2,442,501)	989,085					570,401	803,576						538,407	321,595					2,125,546	2,472,115					1,483,785	1,648,720					5,010,170	5,705,372						15,961,384	20,317,421					24,497,427	33,636,654
Total Liabilities and Partners' Capital	177,630,695	121,538,490			9,132,365	9,461,410					2,651,850	2,630,476				7,795,948	8,168,966					5,595,095	5,889,300						1,903,935	2,033,669					6,878,962	7,279,975					7,014,682	7,261,451					20,865,856	21,901,385						106,813,495	111,887,043					168,652,189	176,513,675
Share of partners capital in investments							$ 329,250	$ 430,126					$ 295,867	$ 259,259					$ (1,221,250)	$ 494,542					$ 285,201	$ 401,788						$ 269,204	$ 160,798					$ 1,062,773	$ 1,236,057					$ 741,893	$ 824,360						$ 2,505,085	$ 2,852,686					$ 6,384,554	$ 8,126,969		$ 10,652,575	$ 14,786,585	$ 4,268,021	$ 6,659,616	$ 6,384,554	$ 8,126,969
Percentage of ownership interest							50.00%	50.00%					50.00%	50.00%				50.00%	50.00%	50.00%				50.00%	50.00%	50.00%						50.00%	50.00%				50.00%	50.00%	50.00%				50.00%	50.00%	50.00%					50.00%	50.00%	50.00%				40.00%	40.00%	40.00%				50.00%	50.00%	40.00%	40.00%
Total units/ condominiums
Total					49				48	1	1				1	40		40			40	176		176			175	1	120		20			120	48		168			48	42		42			42	148			280			148	409		409			409	1,033						1,030	3
Units to be retained					49						1					40						49		49											48		48				42						148							409						786
Units to be sold																						127							120																															247
Units sold	0																					127		127					105																				137											232
Unsold units																													15																															15