Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

FAIR VALUE - Carrying Values and Estimated Fair Value (Details)

v2.4.1.9
FAIR VALUE - Carrying Values and Estimated Fair Value (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Financial Instruments        
Real estate securities, available-for-sale $ 231,727us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecurities $ 231,754us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecurities    
Real estate securities, pledged as collateral 409,037us-gaap_PledgedAssetsSeparatelyReportedMortgageRelatedSecuritiesAvailableForSaleOrHeldForInvestment 407,689us-gaap_PledgedAssetsSeparatelyReportedMortgageRelatedSecuritiesAvailableForSaleOrHeldForInvestment    
Real estate related and other loans, held-for-sale, net 197,251us-gaap_LoansReceivableHeldForSaleNetNotPartOfDisposalGroupCommercialRealEstate 230,200us-gaap_LoansReceivableHeldForSaleNetNotPartOfDisposalGroupCommercialRealEstate    
Residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale, net 3,735us-gaap_LoansReceivableHeldForSaleNetNotPartOfDisposalGroupMortgage 3,854us-gaap_LoansReceivableHeldForSaleNetNotPartOfDisposalGroupMortgage    
Subprime mortgage loans subject to call option 406,217nct_SubprimeMortgageLoansSubjectToCallOption 406,217nct_SubprimeMortgageLoansSubjectToCallOption    
Restricted cash 21,874us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents 15,714us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents    
Cash and cash equivalents 56,002us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue 73,727us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue 85,724us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue 42,721us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
Financial Instruments        
CDO bonds payable 216,464us-gaap_SecuredDebt 227,673us-gaap_SecuredDebt    
Other bonds and notes payable 25,317us-gaap_OtherLongTermDebt 27,069us-gaap_OtherLongTermDebt    
Repurchase agreements 421,803us-gaap_SecuritiesSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchase 441,176us-gaap_SecuritiesSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchase    
Credit facilities and obligations under capital leases, golf 162,806us-gaap_DebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations 161,474us-gaap_DebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations    
Financing of subprime mortgage loans subject to call option 406,217nct_FinancingOfSubprimeMortgageLoansSubjectToCallOption 406,217nct_FinancingOfSubprimeMortgageLoansSubjectToCallOption    
Junior subordinated notes payable 51,230us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedNotes 51,231us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedNotes    
Carrying Value [Member]        
Financial Instruments        
Real estate securities, available-for-sale 231,727us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecurities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Real estate securities, pledged as collateral 409,037us-gaap_PledgedAssetsSeparatelyReportedMortgageRelatedSecuritiesAvailableForSaleOrHeldForInvestment
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Real estate related and other loans, held-for-sale, net 197,251us-gaap_LoansReceivableHeldForSaleNetNotPartOfDisposalGroupCommercialRealEstate
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale, net 3,735us-gaap_LoansReceivableHeldForSaleNetNotPartOfDisposalGroupMortgage
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Subprime mortgage loans subject to call option 406,217nct_SubprimeMortgageLoansSubjectToCallOption
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember 		[1]      
Restricted cash 21,874us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Cash and cash equivalents 56,002us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Financial Instruments        
CDO bonds payable 216,464us-gaap_SecuredDebt
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember 		[2]      
Other bonds and notes payable 25,317us-gaap_OtherLongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember 		[2]      
Repurchase agreements 421,803us-gaap_SecuritiesSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchase
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Credit facilities and obligations under capital leases, golf 162,806us-gaap_DebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Financing of subprime mortgage loans subject to call option 406,217nct_FinancingOfSubprimeMortgageLoansSubjectToCallOption
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember 		[1]      
Junior subordinated notes payable 51,230us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedNotes
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Interest rate swaps, treated as hedges 1,287us-gaap_CashFlowHedgeDerivativeInstrumentLiabilitiesAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember 		[3]      
Non-hedge derivatives 3,352us-gaap_OtherDerivativesNotDesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentsLiabilitiesAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember 		[3]      
Estimated Fair Value [Member]        
Financial Instruments        
Real estate securities, available-for-sale 231,727us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesDebtSecurities
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Real estate securities, pledged as collateral 409,037us-gaap_PledgedAssetsSeparatelyReportedMortgageRelatedSecuritiesAvailableForSaleOrHeldForInvestment
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Real estate related and other loans, held-for-sale, net 213,822us-gaap_LoansReceivableHeldForSaleNetNotPartOfDisposalGroupCommercialRealEstate
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale, net 3,889us-gaap_LoansReceivableHeldForSaleNetNotPartOfDisposalGroupMortgage
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Subprime mortgage loans subject to call option 406,217nct_SubprimeMortgageLoansSubjectToCallOption
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember 		[1]      
Restricted cash 21,874us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Cash and cash equivalents 56,002us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Financial Instruments        
CDO bonds payable 121,112us-gaap_SecuredDebt
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember 		[2]      
Other bonds and notes payable 26,212us-gaap_OtherLongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember 		[2]      
Repurchase agreements 421,803us-gaap_SecuritiesSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchase
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Credit facilities and obligations under capital leases, golf 162,806us-gaap_DebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Financing of subprime mortgage loans subject to call option 406,217nct_FinancingOfSubprimeMortgageLoansSubjectToCallOption
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember 		[1]      
Junior subordinated notes payable 39,257us-gaap_JuniorSubordinatedNotes
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember 		     
Interest rate swaps, treated as hedges 1,287us-gaap_CashFlowHedgeDerivativeInstrumentLiabilitiesAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember 		[3]      
Non-hedge derivatives $ 3,352us-gaap_OtherDerivativesNotDesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentsLiabilitiesAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis
= us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember 		[3]      
[1] Represents an option, not an obligation, to repurchase loans from Newcastle's subprime mortgage loan securitizations (Note 6).
[2] Newcastle notes that the unrealized gain on the liabilities within such structures cannot be fully realized. Assets held within CDOs and other non- recourse structures are generally not available to satisfy obligations outside of such financings, except to the extent Newcastle receives net cash flow distributions from such structures. Furthermore, creditors or beneficial interest holders of these structures have no recourse to the general credit of Newcastle. Therefore, Newcastle's exposure to the economic losses from such structures is limited to its invested equity in them and economically their book value cannot be less than zero. As a result, the fair value of Newcastle's net investments in these non-recourse financing structures is equal to the present value of their expected future net cash flows.
[3] Represents derivative liabilities including interest rate swaps and TBA forward contracts (Note 12).