Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Assets
Cash	$ 21,467,891	$ 19,061,110
Restricted cash	3,031,804	3,768,151
Mortgage loans, at fair value - $334,539,232 and $0 pledged as collateral, respectively	334,793,412
Real estate securities, at fair value - $180,081,818 and $133,538,998 pledged as collateral, respectively	196,552,996	170,671,683
Other assets	3,699,269	1,345,665
Receivable for real estate securities sold		6,801,398
Total assets	559,545,372	201,648,007
Liabilities
Loan repurchase facility	240,477,801
Securities repurchase agreements	134,062,326	116,080,467
Payable for real estate securities purchased		6,195,767
Derivative liabilities, at fair value	596,988	1,144,744
Dividends and distributions payable	4,448,900
Accounts payable and other liabilities	2,139,378	1,820,581
Accrued interest payable	598,962	74,966
Common stock repurchase liability		11,190,687
Total liabilities	382,324,355	136,507,212
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 13)
Stockholders' equity
12.5% Series A cumulative non-voting preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized; zero shares and 133 shares issued and outstanding, respectively
Common stock $0.0001 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized; 7,970,886 shares issued and 7,970,886 shares outstanding, and 2,586,131 shares issued and 2,071,096 shares outstanding, respectively	798	207
Additional paid-in capital	164,207,617	39,759,770
(Accumulated deficit)/retained earnings	(5,449,113)	5,281,941
Total ZAIS Financial Corp. stockholders' equity	158,759,302	45,041,918
Non-controlling interests in operating partnership	18,461,715	20,098,877
Total stockholders' equity	177,221,017	65,140,795
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 559,545,372	$ 201,648,007