Note 6 - Real Estate Held for Investment (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Depreciation	$ 661,000	$ 700,000	$ 1,355,000	$ 1,353,000
Impairment of Real Estate	418,480	291,602	418,480	291,602
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Foreclosures				24,194,517
	1,934,828		1,934,828		1,455,846
Real Estate Investment Property, Net	68,188,763		68,188,763		131,620,987
Gains (Losses) on Sales of Investment Real Estate	(11,617)		(11,617)
Model Homes [Member] \| Dation [Member]
Sales of Real Estate	25,000
Gains (Losses) on Sales of Investment Real Estate	12,000
Dation [Member]
Real Estate Investment Property, Net	256,000		256,000
Parent [Member] \| Dation [Member]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Attributable to Parent	(55,000)	(10,000)	3,000	(24,000)
Foreclosed On [Member] \| Industrial Building Located in Chico, California [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Foreclosures				8,500,000
Advances [Member] \| Industrial Building Located in Chico, California [Member]
		588,000		588,000
Cash Paid [Member] \| Dation [Member]
Proceeds from Sale of Real Estate Held-for-investment			330,000
Payments of Management Fees			50,000
Model Homes Transfered [Member] \| Dation [Member]
Payments of Management Fees			97,000
Minimum [Member]
Remaining Lease Term	1 year		1 year
Maximum [Member]
Remaining Lease Term	14 years		14 years
Two Improved Residential Lots, West Sacramento, California [Member]
Impairment of Real Estate	90,000
Real Estate Investment Property, Net	130,560		130,560		182,400
133 Condominium Units, Phoenix, Arizona (Held Within 54th Street Condos, LLC) [Member]
Impairment of Real Estate		292,000
Real Estate Investment Property, Net	6,549,636		6,549,636		5,376,000
720 [Member]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent		65.00%		65.00%
Priority Return on Partner Contributions, Allocation Rate		10.00%		10.00%
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Attributable to Parent	49,000	(6,000)	88,000	7,000
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	109,000	112,000	222,000	230,000
Noncontrolling Interest in Joint Ventures	(1,000)		(1,000)		5,000
Real Estate Investment Property, Net	12,160,000		12,160,000		12,308,000
Dation [Member]
Wholly Owned Ownership Percentage	100.00%		100.00%
Proceeds from Sale of Real Estate Held-for-investment			1,650,000
Mortgage Loan Related to Property Sales			1,320,000
Payments of Management Fees			$ 147,000
Number of Real Estate Properties	2		2
Number of Acres (in Square Meters)			40

OWENS MORTGAGE INVESTMENT FUND A CALIF LTD PARTNERSHIP 10-Q