SEGMENT REPORTING Income Statement (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013 reportable_segments	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of Reportable Segments									3
Revenues	$ 44,102	$ 41,085	$ 40,808	$ 42,291	$ 31,817	$ 29,580	$ 28,257	$ 25,333	$ 168,286	$ 114,987	$ 97,857
Property operating expenses, other operating and real estate taxes									(46,553)	(37,716)	(28,028)
General and administrative expenses									(25,555)	(21,223)	(22,996)
Reserve for notes receivable									0	(405)	0
Depreciation and amortization									(40,299)	(27,888)	(20,975)
Operating Income									55,879	27,755	25,858
Gain on sale of unconsolidated affiliates									0	3,061	0
Impairment of unconsolidated affiliates									0	(2,032)	0
Impairment of asset									(1,500)	0	0
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates									12,382	550	1,555
(Loss) gain on debt extinguishment									(765)	(198)	1,268
Gain on involuntary conversion of asset									0	2,368	0
Interest and other finance expense									(39,474)	(22,811)	(23,343)
Income tax (provision) benefit									(19)	574	(461)
Income (Loss) from continuing operations									26,503	9,267	4,877
Discontinued operations
Operating income from discontinued operations									6,818	12,007	8,933
Impairment of asset									(6,683)	0	(6,925)
Loss on debt extinguishment									(800)	(2,541)	0
Gain on sale of properties									18,802	71,203	46,830
Income from discontinued operations									18,137	80,669	48,838
Net income									44,640	89,936	53,715
Noncontrolling interests
(Income) loss from continuing operations									7,523	14,352	13,734
Income from discontinued operations									(12,048)	(64,582)	(15,894)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									(4,525)	(50,230)	(2,160)
Net income attributable to Common Shareholders	12,251	9,484	8,757	9,623	21,276	7,581	6,839	4,010	40,115	39,706	51,555
Core Portfolio [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									110,355	70,400	58,162
Property operating expenses, other operating and real estate taxes									(29,040)	(21,817)	(16,433)
General and administrative expenses									(23,611)	(19,573)	(20,950)
Reserve for notes receivable										0
Depreciation and amortization									(28,989)	(17,065)	(13,070)
Operating Income									28,715	11,945	7,709
Gain on sale of unconsolidated affiliates										0
Impairment of unconsolidated affiliates										0
Impairment of asset									(1,500)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates									(99)	262	644
(Loss) gain on debt extinguishment									(309)	0	1,268
Gain on involuntary conversion of asset										2,368
Interest and other finance expense									(26,158)	(15,431)	(16,480)
Income tax (provision) benefit									131	(241)	(1,073)
Income (Loss) from continuing operations									780	(1,097)	(7,932)
Discontinued operations
Operating income from discontinued operations									535	319	626
Impairment of asset									0		0
Loss on debt extinguishment									(145)	0
Gain on sale of properties									6,488	0	28,576
Income from discontinued operations									6,878	319	29,202
Net income									7,658	(778)	21,270
Noncontrolling interests
(Income) loss from continuing operations									(1,002)	60	(575)
Income from discontinued operations									(2,406)	(128)	(49)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									(3,408)	(68)	(624)
Net income attributable to Common Shareholders									4,250	(846)	20,646
Opportunity Funds [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									46,131	36,560	27,990
Property operating expenses, other operating and real estate taxes									(17,513)	(15,899)	(11,595)
General and administrative expenses									(1,944)	(1,650)	(2,046)
Reserve for notes receivable										0
Depreciation and amortization									(11,310)	(10,823)	(7,905)
Operating Income									15,364	8,188	6,444
Gain on sale of unconsolidated affiliates										3,061
Impairment of unconsolidated affiliates										(2,032)
Impairment of asset									0
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates									12,481	288	911
(Loss) gain on debt extinguishment									(456)	(198)	0
Gain on involuntary conversion of asset										0
Interest and other finance expense									(13,316)	(7,380)	(6,863)
Income tax (provision) benefit									(150)	815	612
Income (Loss) from continuing operations									13,923	2,742	1,104
Discontinued operations
Operating income from discontinued operations									6,283	11,688	8,307
Impairment of asset									(6,683)		(6,925)
Loss on debt extinguishment									(655)	(2,541)
Gain on sale of properties									12,314	71,203	18,254
Income from discontinued operations									11,259	80,350	19,636
Net income									25,182	83,092	20,740
Noncontrolling interests
(Income) loss from continuing operations									8,525	14,292	14,309
Income from discontinued operations									(9,642)	(64,454)	(15,845)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									(1,117)	(50,162)	(1,536)
Net income attributable to Common Shareholders									24,065	32,930	19,204
Notes Receivable [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									11,800	8,027	11,705
Property operating expenses, other operating and real estate taxes									0	0	0
General and administrative expenses									0	0	0
Reserve for notes receivable										(405)
Depreciation and amortization									0	0	0
Operating Income									11,800	7,622	11,705
Gain on sale of unconsolidated affiliates										0
Impairment of unconsolidated affiliates										0
Impairment of asset									0
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates									0	0	0
(Loss) gain on debt extinguishment									0	0	0
Gain on involuntary conversion of asset										0
Interest and other finance expense									0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit									0	0	0
Income (Loss) from continuing operations									11,800	7,622	11,705
Discontinued operations
Operating income from discontinued operations									0	0	0
Impairment of asset									0		0
Loss on debt extinguishment									0	0
Gain on sale of properties									0	0	0
Income from discontinued operations									0	0	0
Net income									11,800	7,622	11,705
Noncontrolling interests
(Income) loss from continuing operations									0	0	0
Income from discontinued operations									0	0	0
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net income attributable to Common Shareholders									$ 11,800	$ 7,622	$ 11,705