Segment Reporting - Select Financial Information of Reportable Segments (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net servicing revenue and fees									$ 340,991	$ 494,267	$ 601,510
Net gains (losses) on sales of loans									409,448	453,840	462,172
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations									59,022	98,265	109,972
Interest income on loans									45,700	74,365	134,555
Insurance revenue									41,968	47,201	71,010
Other revenues									98,588	106,321	107,934
Total revenues	$ 444,143	$ 297,330	$ 187,473	$ 66,771	$ 331,576	$ 219,393	$ 412,433	$ 310,857	995,717	1,274,259	1,487,153
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment									326,286	207,557	82,269
Interest expense									255,781	273,606	303,103
Depreciation and amortization									59,426	69,128	72,721
Other expenses, net									1,150,659	1,161,465	1,166,936
Total expenses	417,229	465,795	565,706	343,422	548,252	364,124	427,955	371,425	1,792,152	1,711,756	1,625,029
Total other gains (losses)	(74)	10,282	(1,351)	(2,240)	8,485	13,173	523	10,890	6,617	33,071	18,536
Loss before income taxes	26,840	$ (158,183)	$ (379,584)	$ (278,891)	(208,191)	$ (131,558)	$ (14,999)	$ (49,678)	(789,818)	(404,426)	(119,340)
Total assets	16,758,896				18,549,447				16,758,896	18,549,447
Late fee income									63,300	62,800	48,400
Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset management performance fees											36,800
Operating Segments [Member] | Servicing [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net servicing revenue and fees									321,912	462,544	575,961
Net gains (losses) on sales of loans									(4,931)	3,699	0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations									0	0	0
Interest income on loans									45,651	74,303	134,472
Insurance revenue									41,968	47,201	71,010
Other revenues									92,351	81,756	75,991
Total revenues									496,951	669,503	857,434
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment									319,551	151,018	0
Interest expense									68,529	85,482	121,856
Depreciation and amortization									44,439	45,437	46,333
Other expenses, net									752,721	663,545	716,992
Total expenses									1,185,240	945,482	885,181
Total other gains (losses)									(2,113)	6,209	(1,540)
Loss before income taxes									(690,402)	(269,770)	(29,287)
Total assets	3,670,488				5,244,070				3,670,488	5,244,070
Operating Segments [Member] | Servicing [Member] | Intercompany [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net servicing revenue and fees									(11,952)	(10,925)	(9,897)
Other revenues									37,600	30,800	40,500
Late fee income									3,800	1,700
Increase in intersegment revenues resulting from change in fee									11,300
Operating Segments [Member] | Originations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net servicing revenue and fees									0	0	0
Net gains (losses) on sales of loans									410,544	448,533	462,172
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations									0	0	0
Interest income on loans									49	62	83
Insurance revenue									0	0	0
Other revenues									38,837	45,250	19,567
Total revenues									449,430	493,845	481,822
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment									0	0	0
Interest expense									34,012	36,470	29,841
Depreciation and amortization									8,888	15,811	17,090
Other expenses, net									271,413	318,028	317,787
Total expenses									314,313	370,309	364,718
Total other gains (losses)									0	0	0
Loss before income taxes									135,117	123,536	117,104
Total assets	1,496,346				1,570,258				1,496,346	1,570,258
Operating Segments [Member] | Originations [Member] | Intercompany [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Other revenues									1,000	2,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Reverse Mortgage [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net servicing revenue and fees									31,031	42,648	35,446
Net gains (losses) on sales of loans									0	(98)	0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations									59,022	98,265	109,972
Interest income on loans									0	0	0
Insurance revenue									0	0	0
Other revenues									5,742	6,794	11,743
Total revenues									95,795	147,609	157,161
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment									6,735	56,539	82,269
Interest expense									9,070	3,902	3,773
Depreciation and amortization									6,088	7,865	9,284
Other expenses, net									156,783	191,640	163,003
Total expenses									178,676	259,946	258,329
Total other gains (losses)									(1,664)	0	0
Loss before income taxes									(84,545)	(112,337)	(101,168)
Total assets	11,119,750				11,127,641				11,119,750	11,127,641
Operating Segments [Member] | Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net servicing revenue and fees									0	0	0
Net gains (losses) on sales of loans									0	0	0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations									0	0	0
Interest income on loans									0	0	0
Insurance revenue									0	0	0
Other revenues									296	5,345	41,179
Total revenues									296	5,345	41,179
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment									0	0	0
Interest expense									144,170	147,752	147,633
Depreciation and amortization									11	15	14
Other expenses, net									16,497	30,295	19,597
Total expenses									160,678	178,062	167,244
Total other gains (losses)									10,394	26,862	20,076
Loss before income taxes									(149,988)	(145,855)	(105,989)
Total assets	1,097,330				1,318,840				1,097,330	1,318,840
Asset management performance fees										36,800
Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net servicing revenue and fees									(11,952)	(10,925)	(9,897)
Net gains (losses) on sales of loans									3,835	1,706	0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations									0	0	0
Interest income on loans									0	0	0
Insurance revenue									0	0	0
Other revenues									(38,638)	(32,824)	(40,546)
Total revenues									(46,755)	(42,043)	(50,443)
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment									0	0	0
Interest expense									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									0	0	0
Other expenses, net									(46,755)	(42,043)	(50,443)
Total expenses									(46,755)	(42,043)	(50,443)
Total other gains (losses)									0	0	0
Loss before income taxes									0	0	$ 0
Total assets	$ (625,018)				$ (711,362)				$ (625,018)	$ (711,362)