INVESTMENT IN UNCONSOLIDATED JOINT VENTURES (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended					1 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended				0 Months Ended		1 Months Ended				1 Months Ended								3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended				1 Months Ended																										0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014 item	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013 item	Feb. 28, 2014 Mortgage loan	Oct. 18, 2013 Dexter Park	Oct. 28, 2009 Dexter Park item	Mar. 31, 2014 Dexter Park item	Mar. 31, 2013 Dexter Park item	Oct. 28, 2009 Dexter Park Mortgage loan	Oct. 31, 2009 Dexter Park Mortgage loan	Mar. 31, 2014 Dexter Park Mortgage loan	Mar. 31, 2014 Hamilton Bay Apartments, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2013 Hamilton Bay Apartments, LLC item	Oct. 03, 2005 Hamilton Bay Apartments, LLC item	Feb. 28, 2007 Hamilton Bay Apartments, LLC Mortgage loan	Mar. 31, 2014 Hamilton Bay Apartments, LLC Mortgage loan	Oct. 18, 2013 Hamilton Bay Sales	Mar. 31, 2014 Hamilton Bay Sales item	Mar. 31, 2013 Hamilton Bay Sales item	Apr. 30, 2008 Hamilton Bay Sales Mortgage loan item	Mar. 07, 2005 Hamilton Essex Development, LLC and Hamilton Essex 81, LLC	Mar. 31, 2005 Hamilton Essex Development, LLC and Hamilton Essex 81, LLC Mortgage loan	Mar. 31, 2014 Hamilton Essex 81, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2013 Hamilton Essex 81, LLC item	Aug. 31, 2008 Hamilton Essex 81, LLC Mortgage loan	Mar. 31, 2014 Hamilton Essex Development, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2013 Hamilton Essex Development, LLC item	Sep. 30, 2013 Hamilton Essex Development, LLC Mortgage loan	Aug. 31, 2008 Hamilton Essex Development, LLC Mortgage loan	Mar. 31, 2014 Hamilton Essex Development, LLC Mortgage loan	Mar. 31, 2014 Hamilton 1025, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2013 Hamilton 1025, LLC item	Mar. 02, 2005 Hamilton 1025, LLC item	Mar. 02, 2005 Hamilton 1025, LLC Mortgage loan	Mar. 31, 2014 Hamilton 1025, LLC Mortgage loan	Oct. 31, 2004 Hamilton Minuteman, LLC	Mar. 31, 2014 Hamilton Minuteman, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2013 Hamilton Minuteman, LLC item	Sep. 30, 2004 Hamilton Minuteman, LLC item	Jan. 31, 2007 Hamilton Minuteman, LLC Mortgage loan	Oct. 31, 2004 Hamilton Minuteman, LLC Mortgage loan	Mar. 31, 2014 Hamilton Minuteman, LLC Mortgage loan	Dec. 31, 2006 Hamilton Minuteman, LLC Mortgage loan	Mar. 31, 2014 Hamilton Place item	Mar. 31, 2013 Hamilton Place item	May 31, 2008 Hamilton Place item	Aug. 31, 2004 Hamilton Place item	Mar. 31, 2014 Hamilton on Main Apartments, LLC	Dec. 31, 2005 Hamilton on Main Apartments, LLC Mortgage loan item	Mar. 31, 2014 Hamilton on Main Apartments, LLC Mortgage loan	Jun. 30, 2013 345 Franklin, LLC	Mar. 31, 2014 345 Franklin, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2013 345 Franklin, LLC item	Nov. 30, 2001 345 Franklin, LLC item	Jun. 30, 2013 345 Franklin, LLC Mortgage loan	Mar. 31, 2014 Residential buildings Dexter Park item	Mar. 31, 2013 Residential buildings Dexter Park item	Mar. 31, 2014 Residential buildings Hamilton Bay Apartments, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2013 Residential buildings Hamilton Bay Apartments, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2014 Residential buildings Hamilton Bay Sales item	Mar. 31, 2013 Residential buildings Hamilton Bay Sales item	Mar. 31, 2014 Residential buildings Hamilton Essex 81, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2013 Residential buildings Hamilton Essex 81, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2014 Residential buildings Hamilton 1025, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2013 Residential buildings Hamilton 1025, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2014 Residential buildings Hamilton Minuteman, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2013 Residential buildings Hamilton Minuteman, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2014 Residential buildings Hamilton Place item	Mar. 31, 2013 Residential buildings Hamilton Place item	Mar. 31, 2014 Residential buildings 345 Franklin, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2013 Residential buildings 345 Franklin, LLC item	Mar. 07, 2005 Apartment Hamilton Essex 81, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2014 Commercial Hamilton Essex 81, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2013 Commercial Hamilton Essex 81, LLC item	Mar. 07, 2005 Commercial Hamilton Essex 81, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2014 Commercial Hamilton Essex Development, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2013 Commercial Hamilton Essex Development, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2014 Commercial Hamilton 1025, LLC item	Mar. 31, 2013 Commercial Hamilton 1025, LLC item	Mar. 07, 2005 Car parking lot Hamilton Essex Development, LLC item	Oct. 28, 2009 HBC Dexter Park Mortgage loan	Oct. 31, 2009 HBC Dexter Park Mortgage loan	Mar. 31, 2014 Management Company item	Mar. 31, 2014 Minimum Mortgage loan	Mar. 31, 2014 Minimum Limited Partnerships	Mar. 31, 2014 Minimum Hamilton on Main Apartments, LLC	Mar. 31, 2014 Minimum Harold Brown	Mar. 31, 2014 Maximum Mortgage loan	Mar. 31, 2014 Maximum Limited Partnerships	Mar. 31, 2014 Maximum Hamilton on Main Apartments, LLC	Mar. 31, 2014 Maximum Harold Brown
INVESTMENT IN UNCONSOLIDATED JOINT VENTURES
Number of limited partnerships and limited liability companies in which the entity has invested	9
Number of partnerships investing in commercial property			3
Percentage of ownership interest						40.00%								50.00%							50.00%												50.00%						50.00%								50.00%							50.00%																															40.00%		43.20%		50.00%		60.00%
Number of employees having ownership interest																																																																																			6
Investments in joint venture	$ 11,632,341		$ 12,025,142			$ 15,925,000								$ 2,500,000							$ 2,000,000												$ 2,352,000						$ 5,075,000								$ 8,000,000							$ 1,533,000
Number of units						409	409	409				48	48	168				120	120	20			49	49		1	1				176	176	176				42	42	42					148	148		280		3			40	40	40		409	409	48	48	120	120	48	48	175	175	42	42	148	148	40	40	48	1	1		1	1	1	1
Number of properties																																																																											1
Purchase price of investments						129,500,000								30,875,000							14,300,000												23,750,000						10,100,000								56,000,000
Borrowings										89,914,000					4,750,000					2,368,000		10,750,000			8,235,000				2,041,000					5,000,000						5,500,000	8,025,000								16,825,000																																	7,168,000
Interest rate (as a percent)									5.57%						5.57%					5.75%					5.79%									5.67%						5.67%									5.18%						3.87%																										6.00%			3.76%				5.97%
Period for which the entity is required to make interest only payments										2 years					5 years																			5 years						5 years									3 years						3 years
Amortization period of debt									30 years						30 years										30 years									30 years						30 years									30 years						30 years
Outstanding amount of mortgage loan	195,073,358		198,520,478				87,179,208	88,300,726			0	4,622,842	4,685,952			0			1,668,000				8,202,370	8,321,852		2,027,817	2,080,281				4,856,961	4,917,835			0		5,348,277	5,414,951				0		15,263,225	15,536,345			15,263,225		0		10,000,000	6,806,096
Deposits for refinancing included in other assets																																																339,000
Investments funded using cash reserves						8,757,000
Term of debt																																		10 years						10 years									10 years						15 years																										4 years
Notice period for principal paydown of debt																																																																																	6 months
Repayment of loan																																																			6,776,000
Principal payments elected to be made																													4,301	4,443
Interest paid	1,664,000	1,869,000
Amortization period of intangible assets							12 months
Capital contributions					660,000												660,000
Gain on Sale of Real Estate																		52,283
Gain on sale of real estate																		52,000
Number of units retained for long-term investment							409	409				48	48	48									49	49		1	1				49	49	49				42	42						148	148							40	40
Number of units retained																		14
Number of units sold														120				106	105												127	127	127													137
Number of units sold during period																		1
Units to be sold																		120	120												127	127
Capacity of real estate property (in cars per lot)																																																																																50
Margin over basis of interest rate (as a percent)																													2.25%
Basis of interest rate																														Libor
Notional margin over basis of interest rate (as a percent)																														0.152%
Cost associated with loan extension																												9,000	6,000
Extended term of debt																												2 years
Maximum personal guaranty on mortgage																													1,000,000
Amount returned to partnership																																				3,775,000
Cash contribution by the entity towards loan																																											1,250,000
Ownership percentage in third party entity by majority shareholder of the General Partner																																																31.00%
Ownership percentage in third party entity by President of management company																																																5.00%
Percentage of variable commission on each sale																																																																																						3.00%				5.00%
Term excluding period for which interest only payments to be made																																																	7 years
Net proceeds after funding escrow accounts and closing costs																																																	16,700,000
Fee for early extinguishment of debt				0
Refinanced amount																																																	339,000						10,000,000
Distribution to the Partnership	969,207	975,298																																																					1,610,000
Carrying value of investment to discontinue applying the equity method	$ 0																																																		$ 0