Disclosures Regarding Fair Values Of Financial Instruments (Financial Instruments Other Than Debt Securities) (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Residential mortgage loans, Fair Value	$ 8,400	$ 9,300
Interest rate swap agreements, Fair Value	24	617
Unsecured borrowings, Fair Value	104,900	104,200
Interest rate swap agreements, Fair Value	41,199	31,348
Residential mortgage loans	8,230	9,148
Interest rate swap agreements	24	617
Repurchase arrangements with initial terms of greater than 120 days		47,419
Unsecured borrowings	103,095	103,095
Interest rate swap agreements	41,199	31,348
Initial Terms Of Greater Than 120 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Repurchase arrangements with initial terms of greater than 120 days, Fair Value		$ 47,400

Financial Instruments Owned Derivatives And Other Contractual Agreements, Carrying Amount

No definition available.

Name:	cmo_DerivativeCarryingAmountOfDerivativeAsset
Namespace Prefix:	cmo_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Derivative Carrying Amount of Derivative Liability

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cmo_DerivativeCarryingAmountOfDerivativeLiability
Namespace Prefix:	cmo_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of firm holdings in mortgages, mortgage backed securities (investment instruments that represent ownership of an undivided interest in a group of mortgages, where principal and interest from the individual mortgages are used to pay investors' principal and interest on the mortgage backed security) senior debt securities, residential mortgage loans, and asset-backed securities that are primarily paid from the cash flows of a discrete pool of receivables or other financial assets (such as credit-card receivables), either fixed or revolving, that by their terms convert into cash within a finite time period. Includes both pledged (to counterparties as collateral for financing transactions) and unpledged holdings.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cmo_FinancialInstrumentsOwnedMortgagesMortgageBackedAndAssetBackedSecuritiesCarryingAmount
Namespace Prefix:	cmo_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of repurchase arrangements with initial terms of greater than 120 days held by the Company.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cmo_RepurchaseArrangementCarryingAmount
Namespace Prefix:	cmo_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Unsecured Debt, at Fair Value

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cmo_UnsecuredDebtAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	cmo_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetsSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value of derivative asset, presented on a gross basis even when the derivative instrument is subject to master netting arrangements and qualifies for net presentation in the statement of financial position.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 133

-Paragraph 205G

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 133

-Paragraph 44C

-Subparagraph a

-Clause 1

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4B

-Subparagraph (a),(c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7476318&loc=SL5624163-113959

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeAsset
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of derivative liability, presented on a gross basis even when the derivative instrument is subject to master netting arrangements and qualifies for net presentation in the statement of financial position.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeLiability
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fair value as of the balance sheet date of firm holdings in mortgages, mortgage backed securities (investment instruments that represent ownership of an undivided interest in a group of mortgages, where principal and interest from the individual mortgages are used to pay investors' principal and interest on the mortgage backed security) and asset-backed securities that are primarily paid from the cash flows of a discrete pool of receivables or other financial assets (such as credit-card receivables), either fixed or revolving, that by their terms convert into cash within a finite time period. Includes both pledged (to counterparties as collateral for financing transactions) and unpledged holdings.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 940

-SubTopic 320

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6475986&loc=d3e42546-110969

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentsOwnedMortgagesMortgageBackedAndAssetBackedSecuritiesAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the portion of the balance sheet assertion valued at fair value by the entity whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission. The amount of securities that an institution sells and agrees to repurchase (seller-borrower) at a specified date for a specified price, net of any reductions or offsets. Most repurchase agreements involve obligations of the federal government or its agencies, but other financial instruments, such as commercial paper, banker's acceptances, and negotiable certificates of deposit (CDs), are sometimes used in repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is similar to the seller-borrower's borrowing funds equal to the sales price of the related securities with the securities as collateral. Maturities of such agreements are flexible and generally vary from one day to 270 days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Audit and Accounting Guide (AAG)

-Number AAG-DEP

-Paragraph 4

-IssueDate 2006-05-01

-Chapter 14

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SecuritiesLoanedOrSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchaseFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Including the current and noncurrent portions, carrying value as of the balance sheet date of uncollateralized debt obligations (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle if longer).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Article 5

-Subsection 19, 20, 22

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.16)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.16)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 16

-Article 9

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnsecuredDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant