Consolidated Securitization Vehicles and Other Variable Interest Entities - Assets and Liabilities Related to the Consolidated VIEs (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Sep. 30, 2023	Jun. 30, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022	Sep. 30, 2022	Jun. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Assets:
Non-Agency RMBS, at fair value		$ 1,024,609		$ 1,147,481
Loans held for investment, at fair value		11,426,932		11,359,236
Accrued interest receivable		72,815		61,768
Other assets		96,764		133,866
Total assets	[1]	12,887,417		13,401,991
Liabilities:
Securitized debt, collateralized by Non-Agency RMBS		75,819		78,542
Securitized debt at fair value, collateralized by Loans held for investment		7,598,721		7,100,742
Accrued interest payable		35,670		30,696
Other liabilities		22,721		16,616
Total liabilities	[1]	10,392,960		10,735,188
Allowance for credit losses		16,230	$ 13,013	7,188	$ 3,355	$ 4,890	$ 213
Non-Agency RMBS
Liabilities:
Allowance for credit losses		16,000		7,000
Variable Interest Entities, Primary Beneficiary
Assets:
Non-Agency RMBS, at fair value		249,825		276,030
Loans held for investment, at fair value		10,440,568		9,855,390
Accrued interest receivable		53,602		47,553
Other assets		14,566		20,293
Total assets		10,758,561		10,199,266
Liabilities:
Securitized debt, collateralized by Non-Agency RMBS		75,819		78,542
Securitized debt at fair value, collateralized by Loans held for investment		7,236,558		6,673,917
Accrued interest payable		23,421		17,427
Other liabilities		2,188		2,239
Total liabilities		7,337,986		6,772,125
Variable Interest Entities, Primary Beneficiary | Non-Agency RMBS
Liabilities:
Allowance for credit losses		$ 5,000		$ 2,000

[1] The Company's consolidated statements of financial condition include assets of consolidated variable interest entities, or VIEs, that can only be used to settle obligations and liabilities of the VIE for which creditors do not have recourse to the primary beneficiary (Chimera Investment Corporation). As of September 30, 2023, and December 31, 2022, total assets of consolidated VIEs were $10,758,561 and $10,199,266, respectively, and total liabilities of consolidated VIEs were $7,337,986 and $6,772,125, respectively. See Note 8 for further discussion.