Separate Financial Information of Subsidiary Guarantors of Indebtedness - Schedule of Condensed Cash Flow Statement (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 121,050	$ 407,552
Purchases and originations of reverse loans held for investment	(428,350)	(323,132)
Principal payments received on reverse loans held for investment	152,195	100,729
Principal payments received on mortgage loans held for investment	41,427	38,770
Payments received on charged-off loans held for investment	6,372	0
Payments received on receivables related to Non-Residual Trusts	2,020	3,230
Cash proceeds from sales of real estate owned, net	17,711	11,436
Purchases of premises and equipment	(3,686)	(4,524)
Decrease in restricted cash and cash equivalents	242	4,703
Payments for acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(2,809)	(41,912)
Acquisitions of servicing rights	(53,919)	8,843
Proceeds from sale of investment	14,376	0
Proceeds from sale of servicing rights	543	0
Capital contributions to subsidiaries and VIEs	0	0
Returns of capital from subsidiaries and VIEs	0	0
Change in due from affiliates	0	0
Other	12,555	(450)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities	(241,323)	(202,307)
Payments on corporate debt	(4,272)	(4,573)
Proceeds from securitizations of reverse loans	457,448	445,046
Payments on HMBS related obligations	(195,783)	(117,731)
Issuances of servicing advance liabilities	175,725	262,870
Payments on servicing advance liabilities	(256,806)	(237,689)
Net change in warehouse borrowings related to mortgage loans	29,235	(361,909)
Net change in warehouse borrowings related to reverse loans	(18,648)	(72,339)
Payments on excess servicing spread liability	(2,199)	0
Other debt issuance costs paid	(1,618)	(5,278)
Payments on mortgage-backed debt	(45,050)	(45,488)
Capital contributions	0	0
Capital distributions	0	0
Change in due to affiliates	0	0
Other	556	2,665
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities	138,588	(134,426)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	18,315	70,819
Cash and cash equivalents	338,490	562,704
Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	(28,684)	8,231
Purchases and originations of reverse loans held for investment	0	0
Principal payments received on reverse loans held for investment	0	0
Principal payments received on mortgage loans held for investment	336	26
Payments received on charged-off loans held for investment	0
Payments received on receivables related to Non-Residual Trusts	0	0
Cash proceeds from sales of real estate owned, net	(5)	45
Purchases of premises and equipment	(45)	0
Decrease in restricted cash and cash equivalents	(1)	(752)
Payments for acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Acquisitions of servicing rights	0	0
Proceeds from sale of investment	14,376
Proceeds from sale of servicing rights	0
Capital contributions to subsidiaries and VIEs	(4,211)	(101)
Returns of capital from subsidiaries and VIEs	8,067	6,947
Change in due from affiliates	17,981	(67,537)
Other	11,662	0
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities	48,160	(61,372)
Payments on corporate debt	(3,750)	(3,750)
Proceeds from securitizations of reverse loans	0	0
Payments on HMBS related obligations	0	0
Issuances of servicing advance liabilities	0	0
Payments on servicing advance liabilities	0	0
Net change in warehouse borrowings related to mortgage loans	0	0
Net change in warehouse borrowings related to reverse loans	0	0
Payments on excess servicing spread liability	0
Other debt issuance costs paid	0	0
Payments on mortgage-backed debt	0	0
Capital contributions	0	0
Capital distributions	0	0
Change in due to affiliates	827	(2,354)
Other	138	5,666
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities	(2,785)	(438)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	16,691	(53,579)
Cash and cash equivalents	19,853	46,430
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	57,882	420,654
Purchases and originations of reverse loans held for investment	(428,350)	(323,132)
Principal payments received on reverse loans held for investment	152,195	100,729
Principal payments received on mortgage loans held for investment	0	19
Payments received on charged-off loans held for investment	6,372
Payments received on receivables related to Non-Residual Trusts	0	0
Cash proceeds from sales of real estate owned, net	15,195	6,668
Purchases of premises and equipment	(3,641)	(4,524)
Decrease in restricted cash and cash equivalents	1,223	5,939
Payments for acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	(2,809)	(41,912)
Acquisitions of servicing rights	(53,919)	8,843
Proceeds from sale of investment	0
Proceeds from sale of servicing rights	543
Capital contributions to subsidiaries and VIEs	(3,082)	(57)
Returns of capital from subsidiaries and VIEs	4,397	2,286
Change in due from affiliates	13,612	(14,952)
Other	893	(450)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities	(297,371)	(260,543)
Payments on corporate debt	(522)	(823)
Proceeds from securitizations of reverse loans	457,448	445,046
Payments on HMBS related obligations	(195,783)	(117,731)
Issuances of servicing advance liabilities	56,730	222,594
Payments on servicing advance liabilities	(68,246)	(227,183)
Net change in warehouse borrowings related to mortgage loans	29,235	(361,909)
Net change in warehouse borrowings related to reverse loans	(18,648)	(72,339)
Payments on excess servicing spread liability	(2,199)
Other debt issuance costs paid	(1,462)	(5,278)
Payments on mortgage-backed debt	0	0
Capital contributions	4,135	30
Capital distributions	(1,479)	(39)
Change in due to affiliates	(18,142)	84,900
Other	0	(3,001)
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities	241,067	(35,733)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	1,578	124,378
Cash and cash equivalents	313,388	513,022
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	91,852	(21,473)
Purchases and originations of reverse loans held for investment	0	0
Principal payments received on reverse loans held for investment	0	0
Principal payments received on mortgage loans held for investment	41,091	38,725
Payments received on charged-off loans held for investment	0
Payments received on receivables related to Non-Residual Trusts	2,020	3,230
Cash proceeds from sales of real estate owned, net	2,521	4,723
Purchases of premises and equipment	0	0
Decrease in restricted cash and cash equivalents	(980)	(484)
Payments for acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Acquisitions of servicing rights	0	0
Proceeds from sale of investment	0
Proceeds from sale of servicing rights	0
Capital contributions to subsidiaries and VIEs	0	0
Returns of capital from subsidiaries and VIEs	0	0
Change in due from affiliates	(14,440)	(17,849)
Other	0	0
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities	30,212	28,345
Payments on corporate debt	0	0
Proceeds from securitizations of reverse loans	0	0
Payments on HMBS related obligations	0	0
Issuances of servicing advance liabilities	118,995	40,276
Payments on servicing advance liabilities	(188,560)	(10,506)
Net change in warehouse borrowings related to mortgage loans	0	0
Net change in warehouse borrowings related to reverse loans	0	0
Payments on excess servicing spread liability	0
Other debt issuance costs paid	(156)	0
Payments on mortgage-backed debt	(45,050)	(45,488)
Capital contributions	3,158	128
Capital distributions	(10,985)	(9,194)
Change in due to affiliates	162	17,932
Other	418	0
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities	(122,018)	(6,852)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	46	20
Cash and cash equivalents	5,249	3,252
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities	0	140
Purchases and originations of reverse loans held for investment	0	0
Principal payments received on reverse loans held for investment	0	0
Principal payments received on mortgage loans held for investment	0	0
Payments received on charged-off loans held for investment	0
Payments received on receivables related to Non-Residual Trusts	0	0
Cash proceeds from sales of real estate owned, net	0	0
Purchases of premises and equipment	0	0
Decrease in restricted cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Payments for acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Acquisitions of servicing rights	0	0
Proceeds from sale of investment	0
Proceeds from sale of servicing rights	0
Capital contributions to subsidiaries and VIEs	7,293	158
Returns of capital from subsidiaries and VIEs	(12,464)	(9,233)
Change in due from affiliates	(17,153)	100,338
Other	0	0
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities	(22,324)	91,263
Payments on corporate debt	0	0
Proceeds from securitizations of reverse loans	0	0
Payments on HMBS related obligations	0	0
Issuances of servicing advance liabilities	0	0
Payments on servicing advance liabilities	0	0
Net change in warehouse borrowings related to mortgage loans	0	0
Net change in warehouse borrowings related to reverse loans	0	0
Payments on excess servicing spread liability	0
Other debt issuance costs paid	0	0
Payments on mortgage-backed debt	0	0
Capital contributions	(7,293)	(158)
Capital distributions	12,464	9,233
Change in due to affiliates	17,153	(100,478)
Other	0	0
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities	22,324	(91,403)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 0	$ 0