Restatement of Previously Issued Consolidated Financial Statements - Schedule of Restatements to Comprehensive Loss (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ 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
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
Net gains on extinguishment									14,662	4,660	0
Other net fair value losses									(4,234)	7,398	19,280
Other									(3,811)	21,013	(744)
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)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(15,234)	55,084	110,379	(106,189)	(91,056)	(54,630)	23,120	(18,670)	44,040	(141,236)	(9,012)
Net income (loss)	42,074	(213,267)	(489,963)	$ (172,702)	$ (117,135)	$ (76,928)	$ (38,119)	$ (31,008)	(833,858)	(263,190)	(110,328)
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS BEFORE TAXES
Change in postretirement benefits liability									100	193	138
Amortization of realized losses on closed hedges									0	0	(145)
Unrealized gain on available-for-sale security in other assets									75	503	77
Other comprehensive income before taxes									175	696	70
Income tax expense for other comprehensive income items									55	278	173
Other comprehensive income									120	418	(103)
Total comprehensive loss									$ (833,738)	$ (262,772)	$ (110,431)
Basic and diluted loss per common and common equivalent share (in dollars per share)									$ (23.18)	$ (7.00)	$ (2.93)
Weighted-average common and common equivalent shares outstanding — basic and diluted (in shares)									35,973,000	37,578,000	37,631,000
As Previously Reported [Member]
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees									$ 340,991
Net gains on sales of loans									409,448
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations									59,022
Interest income on loans									45,700
Insurance revenue									41,968
Other revenues									98,588
Total revenues									995,717
EXPENSES
General and administrative									619,772
Salaries and benefits									520,357
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment									326,286
Interest expense									255,781
Depreciation and amortization									59,426
Other expenses, net									10,530
Total expenses									1,792,152
OTHER GAINS
Net gains on extinguishment									14,662
Other net fair value losses									(4,234)
Other									(3,811)
Total other gains (losses)									6,617
Loss before income taxes									(789,818)
Income tax expense (benefit)									(260,660)
Net income (loss)									(529,158)
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS BEFORE TAXES
Change in postretirement benefits liability									100
Amortization of realized losses on closed hedges									0
Unrealized gain on available-for-sale security in other assets									75
Other comprehensive income before taxes									175
Income tax expense for other comprehensive income items									55
Other comprehensive income									120
Total comprehensive loss									$ (529,038)
Basic and diluted loss per common and common equivalent share (in dollars per share)									$ (14.71)
Weighted-average common and common equivalent shares outstanding — basic and diluted (in shares)									35,973,000
Restatement Adjustments [Member] | Deferred Tax Asset Valuation Allowance Adjustments [Member]
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees									$ 0
Net gains on sales of loans									0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations									0
Interest income on loans									0
Insurance revenue									0
Other revenues									0
Total revenues									0
EXPENSES
General and administrative									0
Salaries and benefits									0
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment									0
Interest expense									0
Depreciation and amortization									0
Other expenses, net									0
Total expenses									0
OTHER GAINS
Net gains on extinguishment									0
Other net fair value losses									0
Other									0
Total other gains (losses)									0
Loss before income taxes									0
Income tax expense (benefit)	$ (64,300)	$ 111,400	$ 257,600						304,700
Net income (loss)									(304,700)
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS BEFORE TAXES
Change in postretirement benefits liability									0
Amortization of realized losses on closed hedges									0
Unrealized gain on available-for-sale security in other assets									0
Other comprehensive income before taxes									0
Income tax expense for other comprehensive income items									0
Other comprehensive income									0
Total comprehensive loss									$ (304,700)
Basic and diluted loss per common and common equivalent share (in dollars per share)									$ (8.47)
Weighted-average common and common equivalent shares outstanding — basic and diluted (in shares)									0