Note 4 - Segment Reporting - Revenue and Other Segment Information (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Premiums Earned, Net	$ 302,140,000	$ 286,471,000	$ 249,295,000	$ 277,415,000	$ 301,486,000	$ 281,185,000	$ 299,166,000	$ 263,512,000	$ 1,115,321,000	$ 1,145,349,000	$ 1,014,007,000
Services Revenue, Net	11,440,000	33,943,000	28,075,000	31,927,000	40,031,000	42,509,000	39,303,000	32,753,000	105,385,000	154,596,000	144,972,000
Net investment income (Note 6)	38,115,000	36,255,000	38,723,000	40,944,000	41,432,000	42,756,000	43,761,000	43,847,000	154,037,000	171,796,000	152,475,000
Other income									3,597,000	3,495,000	4,028,000
Add: Net gains (losses) on investments and other financial instruments	17,376,000	$ 17,652,000	$ 47,276,000	$ (22,027,000)	4,257,000	$ 13,009,000	$ 12,540,000	$ 21,913,000	60,277,000	51,719,000	(42,476,000)
Total revenues									1,438,617,000	1,526,955,000	1,273,006,000
Interest expense									71,150,000	56,310,000	61,490,000
Allocation of corporate operating expenses (1)									129,870,000	124,412,000	94,815,000
Accounts Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss	121,294,000				93,630,000				121,294,000	93,630,000
Valuation Services
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Services Revenue, Net									22,582,000	29,026,000	30,269,000
Title Services
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Services Revenue, Net									23,266,000	14,185,000	5,512,000
Asset Management Services
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Services Revenue, Net									29,841,000	30,846,000	42,839,000
Real Estate Agent Services
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Services Revenue, Net									2,479,000	2,431,000	0
Mortgage Services
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Services Revenue, Net									14,682,000	7,632,000	4,307,000
All Other Services
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Services Revenue, Net									12,535,000	70,476,000	62,045,000
Intersegment Eliminations
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Premiums Earned, Net									0	0	0
Services Revenue, Net									(1,439,000)	(1,440,000)	(1,650,000)
Net investment income (Note 6)									0	0	0
Other income									0	0	0
Add: Net gains (losses) on investments and other financial instruments									0	0	0
Total revenues									(1,439,000)	(1,440,000)	(1,650,000)
Segment Reconciling Items
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Premiums Earned, Net									0	0	0
Services Revenue, Net									0	0	0
Net investment income (Note 6)									0	0	0
Other income									247,000	0	0
Add: Net gains (losses) on investments and other financial instruments									60,277,000	51,719,000	(42,476,000)
Total revenues									60,524,000	51,719,000	(42,476,000)
Mortgage segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Premiums Earned, Net									1,092,767,000	1,134,214,000	1,006,721,000
Services Revenue, Net									14,765,000	8,134,000	4,968,000
Net investment income (Note 6)									137,195,000	151,491,000	148,274,000
Other income									2,816,000	2,798,000	2,214,000
Add: Net gains (losses) on investments and other financial instruments									0	0	0
Total revenues									1,247,543,000	1,296,637,000	1,162,177,000
Interest expense									71,150,000	56,310,000	43,685,000
Depreciation									9,815,000	13,770,000	14,714,000
Allocation of corporate operating expenses (1)									114,802,000	104,078,000	80,135,000
Mortgage segment | Depreciation Expense
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Allocation of corporate operating expenses (1)									2,600,000	1,600,000	500,000
Real Estate Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Premiums Earned, Net									22,554,000	11,976,000	7,286,000
Services Revenue, Net									79,524,000	76,941,000	79,080,000
Net investment income (Note 6)									361,000	680,000	373,000
Other income									0	0	1,234,000
Add: Net gains (losses) on investments and other financial instruments									0	0	0
Total revenues									102,439,000	89,597,000	87,973,000
Interest expense									0	0	0
Depreciation									2,559,000	2,169,000	1,395,000
Allocation of corporate operating expenses (1)									12,807,000	10,165,000	8,382,000
Accounts Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss	$ 18,800,000				$ 10,800,000				18,800,000	10,800,000
Real Estate Segment | Depreciation Expense
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Allocation of corporate operating expenses (1)									300,000	100,000	100,000
Mortgage and Real Estate Services Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Bad debt expense									0	0	0
Mortgage and Real Estate Services Segment | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Premiums Earned, Net									1,115,321,000	1,146,190,000	1,014,007,000
Services Revenue, Net									94,289,000	85,075,000	84,048,000
Net investment income (Note 6)									137,556,000	152,171,000	148,647,000
Other income									2,816,000	2,798,000	3,448,000
Add: Net gains (losses) on investments and other financial instruments									0	0	0
Total revenues									1,349,982,000	1,386,234,000	1,250,150,000
Interest expense									71,150,000	56,310,000	43,685,000
Depreciation									12,374,000	15,939,000	16,109,000
Allocation of corporate operating expenses (1)									127,609,000	114,243,000	88,517,000
Mortgage and Real Estate Services Segment | Operating Segments | Depreciation Expense
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Allocation of corporate operating expenses (1)									2,900,000	1,700,000	600,000
All Other activities segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Premiums Earned, Net									0	(841,000)	0
Services Revenue, Net									12,535,000	70,961,000	62,574,000
Net investment income (Note 6)									16,481,000	19,625,000	3,828,000
Other income									534,000	697,000	580,000
Add: Net gains (losses) on investments and other financial instruments									0	0	0
Total revenues									$ 29,550,000	$ 90,442,000	$ 66,982,000