CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (USD $) Share data in Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
REVENUES:
Revenues from consolidated VIE-RSO	$ 50,409,000	$ 43,025,000	$ 152,175,000	$ 119,837,000
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
General and administrative	2,426,000	2,505,000	8,309,000	6,807,000
Provision for credit losses	559,000	1,808,000	3,342,000	3,793,000
Depreciation and amortization	453,000	413,000	1,369,000	1,318,000
Costs and expenses	30,943,000	30,219,000	92,361,000	82,034,000
OPERATING INCOME	19,466,000	12,806,000	59,814,000	37,803,000
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments				(214,000)
Interest expense	(467,000)	(530,000)	(1,447,000)	(1,525,000)
Other (expense) income	11,000	162,000	29,000	224,000
Other income (expense), net	(2,243,000)	16,367,000	(1,474,000)	15,492,000
Income from continuing operations before taxes	17,223,000	29,173,000	58,340,000	53,295,000
Income tax provision (benefit)	1,504,000	1,983,000	4,324,000
Income from continuing operations	15,719,000	27,190,000	54,016,000	49,470,000
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	0	(2,000)
Net income	15,719,000	27,190,000	54,016,000	49,468,000
Net income attributable to common shareholders	1,516,000	3,442,000	5,224,000	5,051,000
Amounts attributable to common shareholders:
Income from continuing operations	1,516,000	3,442,000	5,224,000	5,053,000
Discontinued operations	0	0	0	(2,000)
Net income	1,516,000	3,442,000	5,224,000	5,051,000
Basic earnings per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.07	$ 0.17	$ 0.25	$ 0.25
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ 0.00
Net income (in dollars per share)	$ 0.07	$ 0.17	$ 0.25	$ 0.25
Weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	21,109	20,342	20,586	20,255
Diluted earnings per share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.07	$ 0.16	$ 0.24	$ 0.23
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ 0.00
Net income (in dollars per share)	$ 0.07	$ 0.16	$ 0.24	$ 0.23
Weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	22,301	21,872	22,124	21,931
RAI [Member]
REVENUES:
Real estate (includes revenues of $2,643, $4,701, $7,590 and $9,794 related to RSO)	14,289,000	15,950,000	41,012,000	39,443,000
Financial fund management (includes revenues of $2,310 $450, $1,350 and $720 related to RSO)	5,557,000	8,502,000	20,773,000	15,234,000
Commercial finance (includes no revenues related to RSO)	(17,000)	(30,000)	(158,000)	(243,000)
Revenues from consolidated VIE-RSO	19,829,000	24,422,000	61,627,000	54,434,000
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Real estate	9,384,000	11,178,000	27,364,000	29,514,000
Financial fund management	2,812,000	3,547,000	9,980,000	7,769,000
Commercial finance	125,000	75,000	351,000	(99,000)
General and administrative	2,426,000	2,505,000	8,309,000	6,807,000
Provision for credit losses	559,000	1,808,000	3,342,000	3,793,000
Depreciation and amortization	453,000	413,000	1,369,000	1,318,000
Costs and expenses	15,759,000	19,526,000	50,715,000	49,102,000
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	69,000	0	439,000	0
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	0	0	0	(214,000)
Interest expense	(467,000)	(530,000)	(1,447,000)	(1,525,000)
Other (expense) income	80,000	128,000	263,000	400,000
Income tax provision (benefit)	1,741,000	1,261,000	4,991,000	(396,000)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax			0	(2,000)
Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	11,000	(40,000)	(33,000)	(23,000)
RSO [Member]
REVENUES:
Real estate (includes revenues of $2,643, $4,701, $7,590 and $9,794 related to RSO)	2,643,000	4,701,000	7,590,000	9,794,000
Financial fund management (includes revenues of $2,310 $450, $1,350 and $720 related to RSO)	2,310,000	450,000	1,350,000	720,000
Commercial finance (includes no revenues related to RSO)	0	0	0	0
Revenues from consolidated VIE-RSO	34,716,000	23,786,000	100,604,000	76,011,000
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Costs and expenses	18,686,000	15,554,000	51,020,000	43,110,000
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other (expense) income	(1,936,000)	16,607,000	(758,000)	16,607,000
Income tax provision (benefit)	(237,000)	722,000	(667,000)	4,221,000
Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	(14,214,000)	(23,708,000)	(48,759,000)	(44,394,000)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other income (expense), net	(318,000)	(402,000)	(745,000)	(1,339,000)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RAI [Member]
REVENUES:
Real estate (includes revenues of $2,643, $4,701, $7,590 and $9,794 related to RSO)	14,289,000	15,950,000	41,012,000
Financial fund management (includes revenues of $2,310 $450, $1,350 and $720 related to RSO)	5,557,000	8,502,000	20,773,000
Commercial finance (includes no revenues related to RSO)	(17,000)	(30,000)	(158,000)
Revenues from consolidated VIE-RSO	19,829,000	24,422,000	61,627,000	54,434,000
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Real estate	9,384,000	11,178,000	27,364,000
Financial fund management	2,812,000	3,547,000	9,980,000
Commercial finance	125,000	75,000	351,000
General and administrative	2,426,000	2,505,000	8,309,000	6,807,000
Provision for credit losses	559,000	1,808,000	3,342,000	3,793,000
Depreciation and amortization	453,000	413,000	1,369,000	1,318,000
Costs and expenses	15,759,000	19,526,000	50,715,000
OPERATING INCOME	4,070,000	4,896,000	10,912,000
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Gain on sale of investment securities, net	69,000		439,000
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments				(214,000)
Interest expense	(467,000)	(530,000)	(1,447,000)	(1,525,000)
Income from continuing operations before taxes	4,324,000	5,050,000	11,883,000
Income tax provision (benefit)	1,741,000	1,261,000	4,991,000
Net income	2,583,000	3,789,000	6,892,000
Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	11,000	(40,000)	(33,000)
Net income attributable to common shareholders	2,594,000	3,749,000	6,859,000
Amounts attributable to common shareholders:
Net income	2,594,000	3,749,000	6,859,000
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RSO [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues from consolidated VIE-RSO	34,716,000	23,786,000	100,604,000	76,011,000
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
General and administrative	0	0	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Costs and expenses	18,449,000	16,276,000	50,353,000
OPERATING INCOME	16,267,000	7,510,000	50,251,000
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments				0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations before taxes	14,331,000	24,117,000	49,493,000
Income tax provision (benefit)	0	0	0
Net income	14,331,000	24,117,000	49,493,000
Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests	(7,003,000)	(1,996,000)	(12,372,000)
Net income attributable to common shareholders	7,328,000	22,121,000	37,121,000
Amounts attributable to common shareholders:
Net income	7,328,000	22,121,000	37,121,000
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
REVENUES:
Revenues from consolidated VIE-RSO	(4,136,000)	(5,183,000)	(10,056,000)	(10,608,000)
COSTS AND EXPENSES:
Costs and expenses	$ (3,502,000)	$ (4,861,000)	$ (9,374,000)	$ (10,178,000)