COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Details) (USD $)		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	5 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	6 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014 Ground lease for one of the project	Sep. 30, 2013 Ground lease for one of the project	Sep. 30, 2014 Ground lease for one of the project	Sep. 30, 2013 Ground lease for one of the project	Dec. 31, 2013 Ground lease for one of the project	Sep. 30, 2014 Office space in Dallas, Texas	Sep. 30, 2014 Office space in Dallas, Texas	Aug. 10, 2014 REIT Redux, L.P. et al v. PMC Commercial Trust, et al Manager	Jan. 28, 2014 REIT Redux, L.P. et al v. PMC Commercial Trust, et al Manager Maximum	Jul. 31, 2014 REIT Redux, L.P. et al v. PMC Commercial Trust, et al Manager Maximum	Jan. 28, 2014 REIT Redux, L.P. et al v. PMC Commercial Trust, et al Manager Maximum	Sep. 30, 2014 Executive officers item	Sep. 30, 2014 Executive officers Restricted share awards
Commitments and contingencies
Outstanding loan commitments and approvals to fund loans	$ 20,800,000
Number of employees covered under employment agreement													2
Multiplier used for the calculation of severance compensation or change in control payments													2.99
Period of annual compensation paid to employee used to calculate severance compensation or change in control payments													3 years
Multiplier used for the calculation of payments in the event of death of employee													2
Multiplier used for the calculation of payments in the event of disability to employee													1
Number of common stock agreed to be purchased as a part of litigation settlement										550,000
Common stock market price (in dollars per share)												$ 25.00
Number of common shares acquired as a part of litigation settlement									254,000
Attorney's fees and counselor expenses										772,000
Number of common shares agreed to be purchase which are owned by REIT Redux											100,000
Current annual rent				437,000
Period after which the annual rental payment will be increased by greater of 15% or 50% of the increase in the Consumer Price Index				5 years
Increase in annual rental payment after every 5 years, option one (as a percent)				15.00%
Increase in annual rental payment after every 5 years, option two (as a percent)				50.00%
Adjustment period used to calculate increase in the Consumer Price Index				5 years
Increase in rent payable during the balance of the lease term expressed as a percentage of rent payable during the immediately preceding lease year commencing on June 1, 2040 and 2065				10.00%
Rent expense		438,000	438,000	1,314,000	1,314,000		55,000	120,000
Straight line rent liability		10,744,000		10,744,000		9,863,000	30,000	30,000
Future noncancelable minimum lease payments
2014 (Three months ending December 31, 2014)	164,000
2015	616,000
2016	743,000
2017	749,000
2018	607,000
Thereafter	129,031,000
Total	$ 131,910,000
Share awards to be granted as retention bonus under employment agreement														105,000