Represents the weighted average maturity period of loans.

No definition available.

Name:	sfi_FinanceReceivableTroubleDebtRestructuringTimePeriod
Namespace Prefix:	sfi_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sfi_FinanceReceivableTroubledLoans
Namespace Prefix:	sfi_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Chargeoffs taken on financing receivables modified during the period

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sfi_FinancingReceivableModificationChargeoffs
Namespace Prefix:	sfi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the amount of the outstanding recorded investment related to financing receivables for which the maturity was extended and that has been modified by troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sfi_FinancingReceivableModificationsRecordedInvestmentOfContractsWhoseMaturityExtended
Namespace Prefix:	sfi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Recorded investment of financing Receivable whose maturity was extended and principal was reduced

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sfi_FinancingReceivableModificationsRecordedInvestmentOfContractsWhoseMaturityExtendedAndReducedPrincipal
Namespace Prefix:	sfi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the amount of the outstanding unfunded commitment related to financing receivables that has been modified by troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sfi_FinancingReceivableModificationsUnfundedCommitments
Namespace Prefix:	sfi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of the outstanding recorded investment related to financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings after the financing receivable has been modified.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sfi_FinancingReceivablePostModificationRecordedInvestment
Namespace Prefix:	sfi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of the outstanding recorded investment related to financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings before the financing receivable has been modified.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sfi_FinancingReceivablePreModificationRecordedInvestment
Namespace Prefix:	sfi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of the outstanding recorded investment related to financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sfi_FinancingRecivableOutstandingRecordedInvestment
Namespace Prefix:	sfi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of investment in financing receivables (before modification) modified by troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 310

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 33

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7512638&loc=SL6953676-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableModificationsPreModificationRecordedInvestment1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of interest income recognized on a cash-basis method of accounting that the financing receivables (with related allowance for credit losses and without a related allowance for credit losses) were impaired.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 310

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 15

-Subparagraph (c)(3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7512638&loc=d3e5212-111524

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeCashBasisMethod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

Loans Receivable and Other Lending Investments, net (Details 6) (USD $)		9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended				3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended				3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013 Nonperforming financing receivable	Sep. 30, 2013 Senior mortgages loans	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior mortgages loans	Sep. 30, 2013 Senior mortgages loans	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior mortgages loans	Sep. 30, 2013 Non-performing senior mortgages	Jun. 30, 2013 Non-performing senior mortgages	Sep. 30, 2013 Non-performing senior mortgages loans	Sep. 30, 2012 Non-performing senior mortgages	Sep. 30, 2013 Repayment of debt	Sep. 30, 2012 Non-performing first mortgage with recorded chargeoffs and rate reductions	Sep. 30, 2013 Performing senior mortgages loans	Sep. 30, 2012 Performing senior mortgages loans	Jun. 30, 2013 Performing senior mortgages loans	Sep. 30, 2013 Performing senior mortgages loans	Sep. 30, 2013 Senior mortgage troubled debt restructurings subsequently defaulted loans	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior mortgage troubled debt restructurings subsequently defaulted loans	Sep. 30, 2013 Senior mortgage troubled debt restructurings subsequently defaulted loans	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior mortgage troubled debt restructurings subsequently defaulted loans	Sep. 30, 2012 Minimum Performing senior mortgages	Sep. 30, 2012 Maximum Performing senior mortgages	Sep. 30, 2012 Three Month Payment Extension Performing senior mortgages	Jun. 30, 2013 One Year Payment Extension Performing senior mortgages	Sep. 30, 2013 One Year Payment Extension Performing senior mortgages	Sep. 30, 2012 One Year Payment Extension Performing senior mortgages	Sep. 30, 2013 One Year Payment Extension Performing senior mortgages
Troubled debt restructurings
Interest income		$ 8,000,000
Number of Loans			2	2	5	7			1				1	2	1	5	0	0	1	1
Pre-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment			9,020,000	54,192,000	153,452,000	318,227,000
Post-Modification Outstanding Recorded Investment			9,020,000	54,192,000	145,778,000	272,753,000
Outstanding Recorded Investment																	0	0	26,693,000	24,604,000
Recorded investment of loans whose maturity was extended							7,600,000	68,600,000	72,700,000		13,300,000												46,300,000		1,400,000	7,900,000	3,200,000
Maturity extension																					3 months	1 year	3 months	1 year	1 year	1 year
Pre-modification recorded investment										255,600,000				62,600,000
Financing receivable modifications recorded investment of contracts whose maturity extended and reduced principal												181,500,000
Financing receivable modification charge offs										45,500,000
Unfunded commitments	$ 18,600,000