Separate Financial Information of Subsidiary Guarantors of Indebtedness - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 224,598	$ 202,828	$ 320,175	$ 491,885
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	204,463	708,099
Residential loans at amortized cost, net	665,209	541,406
Residential loans at fair value	12,416,542	12,673,439
Receivables, net	267,962	137,190
Servicer and protective advances, net	1,195,380	1,631,065
Servicing rights, net	1,029,719	1,788,576
Goodwill	47,747	367,911	575,468
Intangible assets, net	11,347	84,038
Premises and equipment, net	82,628	106,481
Deferred tax assets, net	299,926	108,050
Assets held for sale	71,085	0
Other assets	242,290	200,364
Due from affiliates, net	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	0	0
Total assets	16,758,896	18,549,447
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Payables and accrued liabilities	759,011	597,926
Servicer payables	146,332	603,692
Servicing advance liabilities	783,229	1,229,280
Warehouse borrowings	1,203,355	1,340,388
Servicing rights related liabilities at fair value	1,902	117,000
Corporate debt	2,129,000	2,157,424
Mortgage-backed debt	943,956	1,051,679
HMBS related obligations at fair value	10,509,449	10,647,382
Deferred tax liability, net		0
Liabilities held for sale	2,402	0
Obligation to fund Non-Guarantor VIEs	0	0
Due to affiliates, net	0	0
Total liabilities	16,478,636	17,744,771
Stockholders' equity:
Total stockholders' equity	280,260	804,676	1,076,659	1,167,016
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	16,758,896	18,549,447
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	773	4,016	3,162	100,009
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	1,502	10,512
Residential loans at amortized cost, net	12,891	14,130
Residential loans at fair value	0	0
Receivables, net	97,424	11,465
Servicer and protective advances, net	0	0
Servicing rights, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Premises and equipment, net	1,181	1,559
Deferred tax assets, net	27,310	0
Assets held for sale	0
Other assets	30,789	37,724
Due from affiliates, net	392,998	674,139
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	1,897,729	2,278,009
Total assets	2,462,597	3,031,554
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Payables and accrued liabilities	53,337	43,778
Servicer payables	0	0
Servicing advance liabilities	0	0
Warehouse borrowings	0	0
Servicing rights related liabilities at fair value	0	0
Corporate debt	2,129,000	2,156,944
Mortgage-backed debt	0	0
HMBS related obligations at fair value	0	0
Deferred tax liability, net	0	26,156
Liabilities held for sale	0
Obligation to fund Non-Guarantor VIEs	0	0
Due to affiliates, net	0	0
Total liabilities	2,182,337	2,226,878
Stockholders' equity:
Total stockholders' equity	280,260	804,676
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	2,462,597	3,031,554
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	221,825	196,812	311,810	388,644
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	158,204	639,151
Residential loans at amortized cost, net	189,441	26,713
Residential loans at fair value	11,924,043	12,147,423
Receivables, net	154,852	108,227
Servicer and protective advances, net	481,099	514,213
Servicing rights, net	1,029,719	1,788,576
Goodwill	47,747	367,911
Intangible assets, net	11,347	78,523
Premises and equipment, net	81,447	104,922
Deferred tax assets, net	270,079	132,687
Assets held for sale	65,045
Other assets	191,671	150,470
Due from affiliates, net	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	136,387	54,810
Total assets	14,962,906	16,310,438
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Payables and accrued liabilities	708,070	554,710
Servicer payables	146,332	603,692
Servicing advance liabilities	132,664	236,511
Warehouse borrowings	1,203,355	1,340,388
Servicing rights related liabilities at fair value	1,902	117,000
Corporate debt	0	480
Mortgage-backed debt	0	0
HMBS related obligations at fair value	10,509,449	10,647,382
Deferred tax liability, net		0
Liabilities held for sale	1,179
Obligation to fund Non-Guarantor VIEs	46,417	36,048
Due to affiliates, net	392,812	579,715
Total liabilities	13,142,180	14,115,926
Stockholders' equity:
Total stockholders' equity	1,820,726	2,194,512
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	14,962,906	16,310,438
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries and VIEs [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	2,000	2,000	5,203	3,232
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	44,757	58,436
Residential loans at amortized cost, net	462,877	500,563
Residential loans at fair value	492,499	526,016
Receivables, net	15,686	17,498
Servicer and protective advances, net	688,961	1,082,405
Servicing rights, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	5,515
Premises and equipment, net	0	0
Deferred tax assets, net	212	0
Assets held for sale	6,040
Other assets	19,830	12,170
Due from affiliates, net	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	0	0
Total assets	1,732,862	2,204,603
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Payables and accrued liabilities	5,474	5,206
Servicer payables	0	0
Servicing advance liabilities	650,565	992,769
Warehouse borrowings	0	0
Servicing rights related liabilities at fair value	0	0
Corporate debt	0	0
Mortgage-backed debt	943,956	1,051,679
HMBS related obligations at fair value	0	0
Deferred tax liability, net		1,746
Liabilities held for sale	1,223
Obligation to fund Non-Guarantor VIEs	0	0
Due to affiliates, net	185	94,423
Total liabilities	1,601,403	2,145,823
Stockholders' equity:
Total stockholders' equity	131,459	58,780
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	1,732,862	2,204,603
Eliminations and Reclassifications [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Residential loans at amortized cost, net	0	0
Residential loans at fair value	0	0
Receivables, net	0	0
Servicer and protective advances, net	25,320	34,447
Servicing rights, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Premises and equipment, net	0	0
Deferred tax assets, net	2,325	(24,637)
Assets held for sale	0
Other assets	0	0
Due from affiliates, net	(392,998)	(674,139)
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	(2,034,116)	(2,332,819)
Total assets	(2,399,469)	(2,997,148)
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Payables and accrued liabilities	(7,870)	(5,768)
Servicer payables	0	0
Servicing advance liabilities	0	0
Warehouse borrowings	0	0
Servicing rights related liabilities at fair value	0	0
Corporate debt	0	0
Mortgage-backed debt	0	0
HMBS related obligations at fair value	0	0
Deferred tax liability, net		(27,902)
Liabilities held for sale	0
Obligation to fund Non-Guarantor VIEs	(46,417)	(36,048)
Due to affiliates, net	(392,997)	(674,138)
Total liabilities	(447,284)	(743,856)
Stockholders' equity:
Total stockholders' equity	(1,952,185)	(2,253,292)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ (2,399,469)	$ (2,997,148)