Separate Financial Information of Subsidiary Guarantors of Indebtedness - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - 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
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees									$ 340,991	$ 494,267	$ 601,510
Net gains 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
EXPENSES
General and administrative									619,772	574,091	577,506
Salaries and benefits									520,357	576,817	578,627
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
Corporate allocations									0	0	0
Other expenses, net									10,530	10,557	10,803
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
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Net gains on extinguishment									14,662	4,660	0
Other net fair value gains (losses)									(4,234)	7,398	19,280
Other									(3,811)	21,013	(744)
Total other gains	(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)
Income tax expense (benefit)	49,069	(56,357)	(147,183)	(106,189)	(91,056)	(54,630)	23,120	(18,670)	(260,660)	(141,236)	(9,012)
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs									(529,158)	(263,190)	(110,328)
Equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs									0	0	0
Net loss	$ (22,229)	$ (101,826)	$ (232,401)	$ (172,702)	$ (117,135)	$ (76,928)	$ (38,119)	$ (31,008)	(529,158)	(263,190)	(110,328)
Total comprehensive loss									(529,038)	(262,772)	(110,431)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Parent Company [Member]
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees									0	0	0
Net gains 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									1,082	1,165	1,007
Insurance revenue									0	0	0
Other revenues									(1,914)	3,563	1,456
Total revenues									(832)	4,728	2,463
EXPENSES
General and administrative									67,583	35,654	32,198
Salaries and benefits									60,119	28,510	19,311
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment									0	0	0
Interest expense									144,170	147,752	147,633
Depreciation and amortization									783	129	120
Corporate allocations									(119,953)	(54,452)	(46,764)
Other expenses, net									621	(488)	1,598
Total expenses									153,323	157,105	154,096
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Net gains on extinguishment									14,662	4,660	0
Other net fair value gains (losses)									0	0	(54)
Other									(979)	12,076	0
Total other gains									13,683	16,736	(54)
Loss before income taxes									(140,472)	(135,641)	(151,687)
Income tax expense (benefit)									(32,534)	(53,546)	(49,405)
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs									(107,938)	(82,095)	(102,282)
Equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs									(421,220)	(181,095)	(8,046)
Net loss									(529,158)	(263,190)	(110,328)
Total comprehensive loss									(529,038)	(262,772)	(110,431)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees									349,822	506,154	619,152
Net gains on sales of loans									409,448	453,840	462,172
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations									59,422	98,265	109,972
Interest income on loans									504	280	587
Insurance revenue									38,588	43,232	66,051
Other revenues									102,453	105,399	106,041
Total revenues									960,237	1,207,170	1,363,975
EXPENSES
General and administrative									608,067	573,457	597,331
Salaries and benefits									460,238	548,229	559,316
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment									326,286	207,557	82,269
Interest expense									49,769	46,920	72,203
Depreciation and amortization									57,946	68,259	71,815
Corporate allocations									119,953	54,452	46,764
Other expenses, net									4,434	4,981	2,542
Total expenses									1,626,693	1,503,855	1,432,240
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Net gains on extinguishment									0	0
Other net fair value gains (losses)									(805)	122	(792)
Other									(2,832)	8,937	(744)
Total other gains									(3,637)	9,059	(1,536)
Loss before income taxes									(670,093)	(287,626)	(69,801)
Income tax expense (benefit)									(231,170)	(87,869)	17,220
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs									(438,923)	(199,757)	(87,021)
Equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs									15,130	9,571	21,238
Net loss									(423,793)	(190,186)	(65,783)
Total comprehensive loss									(423,793)	(190,071)	(65,702)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries and VIEs [Member]
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees									0	66	185
Net gains on sales of loans									0	0	0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations									(400)	0	0
Interest income on loans									44,114	72,920	132,961
Insurance revenue									4,141	4,794	5,854
Other revenues									68,117	55,130	20,253
Total revenues									115,972	132,910	159,253
EXPENSES
General and administrative									14,670	23,085	30,221
Salaries and benefits									0	78	0
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment									0	0	0
Interest expense									63,929	81,756	83,379
Depreciation and amortization									697	740	786
Corporate allocations									0	0	0
Other expenses, net									5,475	6,064	6,663
Total expenses									84,771	111,723	121,049
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Net gains on extinguishment									0	0
Other net fair value gains (losses)									(3,429)	7,276	20,126
Other									0	0	0
Total other gains									(3,429)	7,276	20,126
Loss before income taxes									27,772	28,463	58,330
Income tax expense (benefit)									5,746	3,761	5,665
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs									22,026	24,702	52,665
Equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs									0	0	0
Net loss									22,026	24,702	52,665
Total comprehensive loss									22,026	24,702	52,435
Eliminations and Reclassifications [Member]
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees									(8,831)	(11,953)	(17,827)
Net gains 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									(761)	(825)	(895)
Other revenues									(70,068)	(57,771)	(19,816)
Total revenues									(79,660)	(70,549)	(38,538)
EXPENSES
General and administrative									(70,548)	(58,105)	(82,244)
Salaries and benefits									0	0	0
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment									0	0	0
Interest expense									(2,087)	(2,822)	(112)
Depreciation and amortization									0	0	0
Corporate allocations									0	0	0
Other expenses, net									0	0	0
Total expenses									(72,635)	(60,927)	(82,356)
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Net gains on extinguishment									0	0
Other net fair value gains (losses)									0	0	0
Other									0	0	0
Total other gains									0	0	0
Loss before income taxes									(7,025)	(9,622)	43,818
Income tax expense (benefit)									(2,702)	(3,582)	17,508
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs									(4,323)	(6,040)	26,310
Equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs									406,090	171,524	(13,192)
Net loss									401,767	165,484	13,118
Total comprehensive loss									$ 401,767	$ 165,369	$ 13,267