VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES RSO Cash Flow Detail (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$ 1,516,000	$ 3,442,000	$ 5,224,000	$ 5,051,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments				214,000
Equity in net (earnings) losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries	(620,000)	(1,384,000)	(2,298,000)	(2,528,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of loans and investments			(7,320,000)
Capital expenditures			(291,000)
Payments on borrowings:
Dividends paid			(2,952,000)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock			17,570,000
Increase in cash			6,575,000	7,540,000
Cash, beginning of year			19,853,000	11,899,000	11,899,000
Cash, end of period	26,428,000	19,439,000	26,428,000	19,439,000
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE:
Interest expense paid in cash			1,249,000	1,270,000
Income taxes paid in cash			952,000	933,000
RSO [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	14,331,000	24,117,000	49,493,000	45,287,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
(Recovery) provision for loan losses	1,439,000	741,000	(1,739,000)	541,000
Depreciation of investments in real estate and other			2,252,000	1,638,000
Amortization of intangible assets			1,541,000	1,463,000
Amortization of term facilities			0	876,000
Accretion of net discounts on loans held for investment			(2,045,000)	(8,306,000)
Accretion of net discounts on securities available-for-sale			(2,847,000)	(1,925,000)
Amortization of discounts on convertible notes			896,000	0
Amortization of discount on notes securitization			70,000	3,937,000
Amortization of debt issuance costs on notes of securitizations			2,596,000	2,868,000
Amortization of stock-based compensation			4,497,000	7,866,000
Amortization of terminated derivative instruments			212,000	322,000
Increase (Decrease) in Dividends Payable			0	(5,107,000)
Accretion of interest-only available-for-sale securities			(573,000)	(714,000)
Non-cash incentive compensation to the Manager			0	(484,000)
Deferred income tax (benefit) provision			(689,000)	502,000
Change in mortgage loans held for sale, net			(42,178,000)	0
Purchase of securities, trading			(4,000,000)	(11,044,000)
Principal payments on securities, trading			50,000	4,211,000
Proceeds from sales of securities, trading			379,000	18,713,000
Net realized and unrealized gain on investment securities, trading			1,834,000	864,000
Net realized gains on sales of investment securities available-for-sale and loans			(15,488,000)	(3,355,000)
Loss on the reissuance of debt			2,469,000	0
Gain on sale of real estate	(3,000,000)		(2,973,000)	(16,607,000)	(16,600,000)
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments	0		0	802,000
Linked transactions fair value adjustments			(5,713,000)	5,224,000
Equity in net (earnings) losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries	(887,000)	535,000	(4,663,000)	888,000
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions			6,757,000	17,404,000
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities			(59,355,000)	21,545,000
Change in consolidated VIE-RSO cash for the period			99,001,000	(59,185,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income (loss) of consolidated VIE-RSO			42,360,000	(37,931,000)
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities of consolidated VIE-RSO (excluding eliminations)			(9,862,000)	66,832,000
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of loans			(667,774,000)	(555,051,000)
Purchase of securities available-for-sale			(145,138,000)	(120,599,000)
Purchase of loans and investments			812,912,000	675,650,000
Principal payments received on loans			315,778,000	487,606,000
Proceeds from sale of loans			76,314,000	314,112,000
Principal payments on securities available-for-sale			40,748,000	33,010,000
Proceeds from sale of securities available-for-sale			117,367,000	7,025,000
Principal payments received on loans - related parties			2,706,000	499,000
Increase in restricted cash of consolidated VIE-RSO			18,328,000	30,079,000
Investment in unconsolidated entity			8,911,000	(25,508,000)
Acquisition of Moselle CLO S.A.			(30,433,000)	0
Improvement of real estate held-for-sale			0	(404,000)
Proceeds from sale of real estate held-for-sale			31,639,000	37,001,000
Distributions from investments in real estate			0	522,000
Improvements in investments in real estate held-for-sale			(225,000)	(365,000)
Investment in loans - related parties			(849,000)	0
Purchase of furniture and fixtures			69,000	128,000
Capital expenditures			362,000	0
Settlement of derivative instruments for investments			(19,245,000)	0
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE-RSO			(11,024,000)	11,118,000
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities of consolidated VIE-RSO (excluding eliminations)			(252,304,000)	207,799,000
Proceeds from borrowings:
Repurchase agreements			49,234,000	143,203,000
Warehouse agreement borrowings			43,000,000	0
CDO borrowings			235,344,000	0
Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility			35,500,000	0
Reissuance of debt			39,635,000	0
Payments on borrowings:
Collateralized debt obligations			(301,040,000)	(450,437,000)
Mortgage payable payments			0	(13,600,000)
Warehouse agreement payments			(33,719,000)	0
Subtotal - net borrowings (repayments) of debt by consolidated VIE-RSO			67,954,000	(320,834,000)
Dividends paid			(75,920,000)	(68,010,000)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock			0	114,018,000
Net proceeds from dividend reinvestment and stock purchase plan (net of offering costs of $0 and $0)			25,416,000	19,092,000
Subtotal - net proceeds from issuance of stock by consolidated VIE-RSO			177,568,000	184,279,000
Minority interest equity			12,676,000	2,200,000
Payment of debt issuance costs			(7,284,000)	(1,740,000)
Settlement of derivative instruments			(23,000)	0
Payment of equity to third party sub-note holders			(2,183,000)	(6,952,000)
Distributions paid on preferred stock			(7,907,000)	(4,389,000)
Other consolidated VIE -RSO financing activity			(4,546,000)	(10,881,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities of consolidated VIE-RSO, excluding eliminations			163,165,000	(215,446,000)
Increase in cash			(99,001,000)	59,185,000
Cash, beginning of year			262,270,000	85,278,000	85,278,000	144,463,000
Cash, end of period	163,269,000		163,269,000		262,270,000	144,463,000
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE:
Interest expense paid in cash			26,782,000	28,391,000
Income taxes paid in cash			3,293,000	8,997,000
RSO [Member] | Redeemable Preferred Stock Series A [Member]
Payments on borrowings:
Proceeds from issuance of redeemable preferred shares, net of offering costs			8,397,000	112,000
RSO [Member] | Redeemable Preferred Stock Series B [Member]
Payments on borrowings:
Proceeds from issuance of redeemable preferred shares, net of offering costs			27,940,000	51,057,000
RSO [Member] | Redeemable Preferred Stock Series C [Member]
Payments on borrowings:
Proceeds from issuance of redeemable preferred shares, net of offering costs			115,815,000	0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | RSO [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Non-cash incentive compensation to the Manager			0	(484,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income (loss) of consolidated VIE-RSO			39,646,000	(37,640,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of loans and investments			(812,912,000)	(675,650,000)
Subtotal - principal payments and proceeds from sales received by consolidated VIE-RSO, before eliminations			552,913,000	842,252,000
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE-RSO			(10,633,000)	11,118,000
Payments on borrowings:
Dividends paid			(77,636,000)	(68,010,000)
Other consolidated VIE -RSO financing activity			(4,721,000)	(10,881,000)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	(8,406,000)	(22,428,000)	(38,756,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Other-than-temporary impairment on investments				0
Equity in net (earnings) losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries	491,000	0	491,000	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions			2,714,000
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of loans and investments			0
Subtotal - principal payments and proceeds from sales received by consolidated VIE-RSO, before eliminations			0
Increase in restricted cash of consolidated VIE-RSO			0
Capital expenditures			0
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE-RSO			(391,000)
Payments on borrowings:
Subtotal - net borrowings (repayments) of debt by consolidated VIE-RSO			0
Dividends paid			0
Proceeds from issuance of common stock			0
Other consolidated VIE -RSO financing activity			175,000
Increase in cash			0
Cash, beginning of year			0
Cash, end of period	0		0
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member] | RSO [Member]
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Non-cash incentive compensation to the Manager			0	484,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income and operating cash flows to net income (loss) of consolidated VIE-RSO			2,714,000	(291,000)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of loans and investments			0	0
Other investing activity of consolidated VIE-RSO			(391,000)	0
Payments on borrowings:
Dividends paid			1,716,000	0
Other consolidated VIE -RSO financing activity			$ 175,000	$ 0