Disclosures Regarding Fair Values Of Financial Instruments (Financial Instruments Other Than Debt Securities) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Residential mortgage loans, Carrying Amount	$ 8,952	$ 9,148
Residential mortgage loans, Fair Value	9,100	9,300
Interest rate swap agreements, Carrying Amount	137	617
Interest rate swap agreements, Fair Value	137	617
Unsecured borrowings, Carrying Amount	103,095	103,095
Unsecured borrowings, Fair Value	104,400	104,200
Interest rate swap agreements, Carrying Amount	27,336	31,348
Interest rate swap agreements, Fair Value	27,336	31,348
Initial Terms Of Greater Than 120 Days [Member]
Assets Sold under Agreements to Repurchase [Line Items]
Repurchase arrangements, Carrying Amount	44,774	47,419
Repurchase arrangements, Fair Value	$ 44,800	$ 47,400

Financial Instruments Owned Derivatives And Other Contractual Agreements, Carrying Amount

No definition available.

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- Definition

Derivative Carrying Amount of Derivative Liability

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- 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

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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

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Unsecured Debt, at Fair Value

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	cmo_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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- Details

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- 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 Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4B

-Subparagraph (a),(c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=SL5624163-113959

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 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.

+ Details

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- 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

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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

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- 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

-Chapter 14

-Paragraph 4

-IssueDate 2006-05-01

-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

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- 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

-Article 5

-Section 02

-Subsection 19, 20, 22

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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 16

-Article 9

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 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

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