Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Significant Accounting Policies	Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Yadkin Valley Financial Corporation (the "Company") and its subsidiary, Yadkin Valley Bank and Trust Company (the "Bank"). On July 1, 2006, the Bank became a subsidiary of the Company through a one for one share exchange of the then outstanding 10,648,300 shares. Sidus Financial, LLC (“Sidus”) is a single member limited liability company with the Bank as its single member. Sidus offers mortgage banking services and is headquartered in Greensboro, NC. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements of the Company have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial statements and with instructions to Form 10-Q and Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) for complete financial statements. Because the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP, they should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying footnotes included with the Company's 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K (the "2011 Form 10-K") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 29, 2012. Operating results, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, do not necessarily indicate the results that may be expected for the year or other interim periods. In the opinion of management, the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements contain all the adjustments, all of which are normal recurring adjustments, necessary to present fairly the financial position of the Company as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, and the results of its operations and cash flows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011. The accounting policies followed are set forth in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company's 2011 Form 10-K. Mortgage Banking Activities - During the second quarter of 2012, a decision was made by management to make a change in how the Company's mortgage activities are reported based on the prior year reorganization of the Bank's mortgage division and Sidus. This decision was made to improve overall reporting of its mortgage banking activities which are now analyzed and reviewed as a separate and distinct business segment. This change in reporting segment combines both mortgage activities of the Bank with mortgage activities that were previously reported separately from mortgage activities provided by Sidus. Mortgage banking activity income includes gains on sale of mortgage loans made with the intent to sell, revenue from the fair value gains and losses recognized on interest rate lock commitments and forward sales commitments, direct costs related to the gain of mortgage loans, and costs related to representations and warranties and other obligations incurred in the sales of mortgage loans. Also included in mortgage banking activity income is all servicing income earned in connection with servicing activities and mortgage servicing rights valuation adjustments. When the Bank retains the right to service a sold mortgage loan, the previous carrying amount is allocated between the loan sold and the retained mortgage servicing right based on their relative fair values on the date of transfer. The Bank uses the fair value method of accounting for mortgage servicing rights. Servicing assets are recognized as separate assets when rights are acquired through purchase or through sale of financial assets. Reclassifications - Certain income and expenses reported in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the 2012 presentation of mortgage banking activity income. Reclassifications include interest income which was previously presented in other income, commission expenses recorded in salaries that are now recorded as a reduction in mortgage banking activity income, and other miscellaneous expenses previously recorded in other expenses that have been reclassified as a reduction to mortgage banking activity income. In addition, gains on sale of mortgage loans has been reclassified to be reported with mortgage banking income to provide a combined overview of the mortgage banking activity segment. The reclassifications had no effect on net income (loss) or shareholders' equity, as previously reported.

Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Yadkin Valley Financial Corporation (the "Company") and its subsidiary, Yadkin Valley Bank and Trust Company (the "Bank"). On July 1, 2006, the Bank became a subsidiary of the Company through a one for one share exchange of the then outstanding 10,648,300 shares. Sidus Financial, LLC (“Sidus”) is a single member limited liability company with the Bank as its single member. Sidus offers mortgage banking services and is headquartered in Greensboro, NC. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements of the Company have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial statements and with instructions to Form 10-Q and Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) for complete financial statements. Because the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP, they should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying footnotes included with the Company's 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K (the "2011 Form 10-K") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 29, 2012. Operating results, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, do not necessarily indicate the results that may be expected for the year or other interim periods.

In the opinion of management, the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements contain all the adjustments, all of which are normal recurring adjustments, necessary to present fairly the financial position of the Company as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, and the results of its operations and cash flows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011. The accounting policies followed are set forth in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company's 2011 Form 10-K.

Mortgage Banking Activities - During the second quarter of 2012, a decision was made by management to make a change in how the Company's mortgage activities are reported based on the prior year reorganization of the Bank's mortgage division and Sidus. This decision was made to improve overall reporting of its mortgage banking activities which are now analyzed and reviewed as a separate and distinct business segment. This change in reporting segment combines both mortgage activities of the Bank with mortgage activities that were previously reported separately from mortgage activities provided by Sidus.

Mortgage banking activity income includes gains on sale of mortgage loans made with the intent to sell, revenue from the fair value gains and losses recognized on interest rate lock commitments and forward sales commitments, direct costs related to the gain of mortgage loans, and costs related to representations and warranties and other obligations incurred in the sales of mortgage loans. Also included in mortgage banking activity income is all servicing income earned in connection with servicing activities and mortgage servicing rights valuation adjustments. When the Bank retains the right to service a sold mortgage loan, the previous carrying amount is allocated between the loan sold and the retained mortgage servicing right based on their relative fair values on the date of transfer. The Bank uses the fair value method of accounting for mortgage servicing rights. Servicing assets are recognized as separate assets when rights are acquired through purchase or through sale of financial assets.

Reclassifications - Certain income and expenses reported in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the 2012 presentation of mortgage banking activity income. Reclassifications include interest income which was previously presented in other income, commission expenses recorded in salaries that are now recorded as a reduction in mortgage banking activity income, and other miscellaneous expenses previously recorded in other expenses that have been reclassified as a reduction to mortgage banking activity income. In addition, gains on sale of mortgage loans has been reclassified to be reported with mortgage banking income to provide a combined overview of the mortgage banking activity segment. The reclassifications had no effect on net income (loss) or shareholders' equity, as previously reported.