| REAL ESTATE RELATED LOANS, RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE LOANS AND SUBPRIME MORTGAGE LOANS - Subprime Characteristics (Details 6) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended | |||||||||||
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| Mar. 31, 2015 | ||||||||||||
| Loan unpaid principal balance (UPB) | $ 748,513us-gaap_PrincipalAmountOutstandingOnLoansManagedAndSecuritized | [1] | ||||||||||
| Debt Face Amount | 1,286,504us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount | |||||||||||
| Subprime Portfolio I [Member] | ||||||||||||
| Loan unpaid principal balance (UPB) | 311,133us-gaap_PrincipalAmountOutstandingOnLoansManagedAndSecuritized / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIMember | [1] | ||||||||||
| Weighted Average Coupon | 5.71%nct_CouponWeightedAverage / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIMember | |||||||||||
| Delinquencies of 60 or more days (UPB) | 73,706us-gaap_DelinquentAmountAtEndOfPeriodOnLoansManagedAndSecuritized / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIMember | [2] | ||||||||||
| Net credit losses | 6,070us-gaap_NetCreditLossOnLoansManagedOrSecuritizedOrAssetbackedFinancingArrangement / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIMember | |||||||||||
| Cumulative net credit losses | 278,100nct_SubprimeCumulativeNetCreditLosses / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIMember | |||||||||||
| Cumulative net credit losses as a % of original UPB | 18.50%nct_SubprimeNetCreditLossesPercentageOriginalUPB / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIMember | |||||||||||
| Percentage of ARM loans | 50.50%nct_SubprimePercentageARMLoans / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIMember | [3] | ||||||||||
| Percentage of loans with original loan-to-value ratio >90% | 10.60%nct_SubprimePercentageLoansWithHighLoanValueRatio / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIMember | |||||||||||
| Percentage of interest-only loans | 2.00%nct_SubprimePercentageInterestOnlyLoans / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIMember | |||||||||||
| Debt Face Amount | 307,133us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIMember | [4] | ||||||||||
| Weighted average funding cost of debt | 0.53%nct_SubprimeWeightedAverageFundingCostDebt / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIMember | [5] | ||||||||||
| Subprime Portfolio II [Member] | ||||||||||||
| Loan unpaid principal balance (UPB) | 437,380us-gaap_PrincipalAmountOutstandingOnLoansManagedAndSecuritized / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIIMember | [1] | ||||||||||
| Weighted Average Coupon | 4.63%nct_CouponWeightedAverage / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIIMember | |||||||||||
| Delinquencies of 60 or more days (UPB) | 150,239us-gaap_DelinquentAmountAtEndOfPeriodOnLoansManagedAndSecuritized / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIIMember | [2] | ||||||||||
| Net credit losses | 5,147us-gaap_NetCreditLossOnLoansManagedOrSecuritizedOrAssetbackedFinancingArrangement / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIIMember | |||||||||||
| Cumulative net credit losses | 342,243nct_SubprimeCumulativeNetCreditLosses / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIIMember | |||||||||||
| Cumulative net credit losses as a % of original UPB | 31.50%nct_SubprimeNetCreditLossesPercentageOriginalUPB / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIIMember | |||||||||||
| Percentage of ARM loans | 63.80%nct_SubprimePercentageARMLoans / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIIMember | [3] | ||||||||||
| Percentage of loans with original loan-to-value ratio >90% | 17.10%nct_SubprimePercentageLoansWithHighLoanValueRatio / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIIMember | |||||||||||
| Percentage of interest-only loans | 4.50%nct_SubprimePercentageInterestOnlyLoans / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIIMember | |||||||||||
| Debt Face Amount | $ 437,380us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIIMember | [4] | ||||||||||
| Weighted average funding cost of debt | 0.44%nct_SubprimeWeightedAverageFundingCostDebt / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = nct_SubprimePortfolioIIMember | [5] | ||||||||||
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- Definition Weighted average of all coupon rates for each asset type. No definition available. 
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- Definition Cumulative credit losses on subprime securitized mortgage loans. No definition available. 
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- Definition The percentage of cumulative credit losses to the original loan unpaid principal balance on subprime securitized mortgage loans. No definition available. 
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- Definition Percentage of securitized subprime loans that are adjustable-rate mortgage loans (ARM loans). No definition available. 
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- Definition Percentage of securitized subprime loans that are interest-only loans. No definition available. 
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- Definition Percentage of securitized subprime loans with an original loan to value ratio greater than 90%.. No definition available. 
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- Definition Weighted average of all funding costs for all securitized subprime mortgage loans. No definition available. 
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- Definition Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef 
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- Definition This is the principal amount of loans (across all types of loans) that are overdue in payment by a set number of days. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef 
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- Definition Amount of credit loss after recoveries for transferred financial assets that continue to be recognized in the statement of financial position. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef 
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- Definition This is the sum of principal amount outstanding for both securitized and unsecuritized loans of all types. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef 
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