Trust preferred securities (Details) (USD $)
9 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Mar. 31, 2005
Southern Community Financial Capital Trust I [Member]
Sep. 30, 2012
Southern Community Financial Capital Trust I [Member]
Sep. 30, 2007
Village Financial Statutory Trust II [Member]
Sep. 30, 2012
Village Financial Statutory Trust II [Member]
Sep. 30, 2012
Trust preferred securities [Member]
Trust Preferred Securities [Line Items]              
Debt Instrument, issuance Date     Feb. 24, 2005   Sep. 20, 2007    
Trust preferred capital notes $ 8,764,000 $ 8,764,000   $ 5,200,000   $ 3,600,000  
Debt Instrument, description of variable rate basis       three-month LIBOR plus 2.15%   three-month LIBOR plus 1.40%  
Interest rate (in hundredths)       2.54%      
Maturity date       Mar. 15, 2035   Dec. 31, 2037  
Principal assets of the trust       5,200,000   3,600,000  
Period of fixed income rate           5 years  
Fixed income rate payable quarterly (in hundredths)           6.29%  
Percentage of Tier One Risk Based Capital required for capital adequacy (in hundredths) 25.00%            
Deferred interest payments on the junior subordinated debt securities $ 816,390 $ 592,283         $ 558,600