Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

REAL ESTATE RELATED LOANS, RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE LOANS AND SUBPRIME MORTGAGE LOANS - Geographic Distribution (Details 4)

v2.4.1.9
REAL ESTATE RELATED LOANS, RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE LOANS AND SUBPRIME MORTGAGE LOANS - Geographic Distribution (Details 4) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Mar. 31, 2015
Total Real Estate Related and Other Loans Held-for-Sale, Net [Member]  
Outstanding face amount $ 293,792us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateFaceAmountOfMortgages
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_RealEstateRelatedAndOtherLoansHeldForSaleMember
Subtotal prior to bank loans not secured by assets 119,745nct_SubtotalPriorToBankLoansNotSecuredByAssets
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_RealEstateRelatedAndOtherLoansHeldForSaleMember
Percentage of loans 100.00%nct_PercentageOfLoans
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_RealEstateRelatedAndOtherLoansHeldForSaleMember
Total Real Estate Related and Other Loans Held-for-Sale, Net [Member] | Western US [Member]  
Outstanding face amount 24,314us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateFaceAmountOfMortgages
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_WesternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_RealEstateRelatedAndOtherLoansHeldForSaleMember
Percentage of loans 20.30%nct_PercentageOfLoans
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_WesternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_RealEstateRelatedAndOtherLoansHeldForSaleMember
Total Real Estate Related and Other Loans Held-for-Sale, Net [Member] | Northeastern US [Member]  
Outstanding face amount 11,352us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateFaceAmountOfMortgages
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_NortheasternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_RealEstateRelatedAndOtherLoansHeldForSaleMember
Percentage of loans 9.50%nct_PercentageOfLoans
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_NortheasternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_RealEstateRelatedAndOtherLoansHeldForSaleMember
Total Real Estate Related and Other Loans Held-for-Sale, Net [Member] | Southeastern US [Member]  
Outstanding face amount 39,073us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateFaceAmountOfMortgages
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_SoutheasternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_RealEstateRelatedAndOtherLoansHeldForSaleMember
Percentage of loans 32.60%nct_PercentageOfLoans
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_SoutheasternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_RealEstateRelatedAndOtherLoansHeldForSaleMember
Total Real Estate Related and Other Loans Held-for-Sale, Net [Member] | Midwestern US [Member]  
Outstanding face amount 1,702us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateFaceAmountOfMortgages
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_MidwesternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_RealEstateRelatedAndOtherLoansHeldForSaleMember
Percentage of loans 1.40%nct_PercentageOfLoans
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_MidwesternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_RealEstateRelatedAndOtherLoansHeldForSaleMember
Total Real Estate Related and Other Loans Held-for-Sale, Net [Member] | Southwestern US [Member]  
Outstanding face amount 4,547us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateFaceAmountOfMortgages
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_SouthwesternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_RealEstateRelatedAndOtherLoansHeldForSaleMember
Percentage of loans 3.80%nct_PercentageOfLoans
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_SouthwesternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_RealEstateRelatedAndOtherLoansHeldForSaleMember
Total Real Estate Related and Other Loans Held-for-Sale, Net [Member] | Foreign [Member]  
Outstanding face amount 38,757us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateFaceAmountOfMortgages
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_ForeignMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_RealEstateRelatedAndOtherLoansHeldForSaleMember
Percentage of loans 32.40%nct_PercentageOfLoans
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_ForeignMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_RealEstateRelatedAndOtherLoansHeldForSaleMember
Total Real Estate Related and Other Loans Held-for-Sale, Net [Member] | Other Locations [Member]  
Outstanding face amount 174,047us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateFaceAmountOfMortgages
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_OtherLocationsMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_RealEstateRelatedAndOtherLoansHeldForSaleMember 		[1]
Total Residential Mortgage Loans [Member]  
Outstanding face amount 4,259us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateFaceAmountOfMortgages
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_ResidentialMortgageLoansMember
Percentage of loans 100.00%nct_PercentageOfLoans
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_ResidentialMortgageLoansMember
Total Residential Mortgage Loans [Member] | Western US [Member]  
Outstanding face amount 957us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateFaceAmountOfMortgages
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_WesternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_ResidentialMortgageLoansMember
Percentage of loans 22.50%nct_PercentageOfLoans
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_WesternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_ResidentialMortgageLoansMember
Total Residential Mortgage Loans [Member] | Northeastern US [Member]  
Outstanding face amount 523us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateFaceAmountOfMortgages
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_NortheasternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_ResidentialMortgageLoansMember
Percentage of loans 12.30%nct_PercentageOfLoans
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_NortheasternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_ResidentialMortgageLoansMember
Total Residential Mortgage Loans [Member] | Southeastern US [Member]  
Outstanding face amount 2,640us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateFaceAmountOfMortgages
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_SoutheasternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_ResidentialMortgageLoansMember
Percentage of loans 62.00%nct_PercentageOfLoans
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_SoutheasternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_ResidentialMortgageLoansMember
Total Residential Mortgage Loans [Member] | Midwestern US [Member]  
Outstanding face amount $ 139us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateFaceAmountOfMortgages
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_MidwesternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_ResidentialMortgageLoansMember
Percentage of loans 3.20%nct_PercentageOfLoans
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= nct_MidwesternUSMember
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= nct_ResidentialMortgageLoansMember
[1] Primarily includes corporate bank loans which are not directly secured by real estate assets.