Separate Financial Information of Subsidiary Guarantors of Indebtedness - Schedule of Condensed Income Statement (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net servicing revenue and fees	$ 90,887	$ 172,792
Net gains on sales of loans	125,227	104,034
Interest income on loans	31,941	34,422
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	30,774	17,236
Insurance revenue	14,131	23,388
Other revenues	17,897	18,076
Total revenues	310,857	369,948
Salaries and benefits	147,228	135,897
General and administrative	128,647	108,865
Interest expense	74,871	74,849
Depreciation and amortization	16,632	18,644
Corporate allocations	0	0
Other expenses, net	4,047	225
Total expenses	371,425	338,480
Other net fair value losses	(872)	(2,503)
Other	11,762	0
Total other gains (losses)	10,890	(2,503)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(49,678)	28,965
Income tax expense (benefit)	(18,670)	11,588
Income (loss) before equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries and variable interest entities	(31,008)	17,377
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries and variable interest entities	0	0
Net income (loss)	(31,008)	17,377
Comprehensive income (loss)	(30,981)	17,381
Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net servicing revenue and fees	0	0
Net gains on sales of loans	0	0
Interest income on loans	260	159
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	0	0
Insurance revenue	0	0
Other revenues	2,978	269
Total revenues	3,238	428
Salaries and benefits	5,113	1,268
General and administrative	8,652	11,421
Interest expense	36,734	36,441
Depreciation and amortization	30	30
Corporate allocations	(12,744)	(10,943)
Other expenses, net	273	167
Total expenses	38,058	38,384
Other net fair value losses	0	(48)
Other	11,762
Total other gains (losses)	11,762	(48)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(23,058)	(38,004)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(4,892)	(10,480)
Income (loss) before equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries and variable interest entities	(18,166)	(27,524)
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries and variable interest entities	(12,842)	44,901
Net income (loss)	(31,008)	17,377
Comprehensive income (loss)	(30,981)	17,381
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net servicing revenue and fees	95,053	177,351
Net gains on sales of loans	125,227	104,034
Interest income on loans	62	177
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	30,774	17,236
Insurance revenue	12,922	21,938
Other revenues	15,625	17,582
Total revenues	279,663	338,318
Salaries and benefits	142,061	134,629
General and administrative	129,111	100,875
Interest expense	10,944	17,425
Depreciation and amortization	16,413	18,413
Corporate allocations	12,744	10,943
Other expenses, net	930	346
Total expenses	312,203	282,631
Other net fair value losses	(234)	(411)
Other	0
Total other gains (losses)	(234)	(411)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(32,774)	55,276
Income tax expense (benefit)	(11,478)	20,063
Income (loss) before equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries and variable interest entities	(21,296)	35,213
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries and variable interest entities	5,823	(1,524)
Net income (loss)	(15,473)	33,689
Comprehensive income (loss)	(15,473)	33,689
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net servicing revenue and fees	56	23
Net gains on sales of loans	0	0
Interest income on loans	31,619	34,086
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations		0
Insurance revenue	1,422	1,450
Other revenues	18,877	4,792
Total revenues	51,974	40,351
Salaries and benefits	54	0
General and administrative	5,715	6,780
Interest expense	27,951	20,983
Depreciation and amortization	189	201
Corporate allocations	0	0
Other expenses, net	2,844	(288)
Total expenses	36,753	27,676
Other net fair value losses	(638)	(2,044)
Other	0
Total other gains (losses)	(638)	(2,044)
Income (loss) before income taxes	14,583	10,631
Income tax expense (benefit)	1,068	1,544
Income (loss) before equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries and variable interest entities	13,515	9,087
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries and variable interest entities	0	0
Net income (loss)	13,515	9,087
Comprehensive income (loss)	13,515	9,083
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net servicing revenue and fees	(4,222)	(4,582)
Net gains on sales of loans	0	0
Interest income on loans	0	0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	0	0
Insurance revenue	(213)	0
Other revenues	(19,583)	(4,567)
Total revenues	(24,018)	(9,149)
Salaries and benefits	0	0
General and administrative	(14,831)	(10,211)
Interest expense	(758)	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Corporate allocations	0	0
Other expenses, net	0
Total expenses	(15,589)	(10,211)
Other net fair value losses	0	0
Other	0
Total other gains (losses)	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	(8,429)	1,062
Income tax expense (benefit)	(3,368)	461
Income (loss) before equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries and variable interest entities	(5,061)	601
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries and variable interest entities	7,019	(43,377)
Net income (loss)	1,958	(42,776)
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ 1,958	$ (42,772)