Separate Financial Information of Subsidiary Guarantors of Indebtedness - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 478,374	$ 224,598	$ 312,893	$ 202,828
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	172,677	204,463
Residential loans at amortized cost, net	709,080	665,209
Residential loans at fair value	11,905,869	12,416,542
Receivables, net	155,250	267,962
Servicer and protective advances, net	915,185	1,195,380
Servicing rights, net	935,898	1,029,719
Goodwill	47,747	47,747
Intangible assets, net	9,718	11,347
Premises and equipment, net	66,162	82,628
Deferred tax assets, net	0
Assets held for sale	0	71,085
Other assets	199,554	242,290
Due from affiliates, net	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	0	0
Total assets	15,595,514	16,458,970
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
Payables and accrued liabilities	701,390	759,011
Servicer payables	143,785	146,332
Servicing advance liabilities	544,134	783,229
Warehouse borrowings	1,332,126	1,203,355
Servicing rights related liabilities at fair value	1,314	1,902
Corporate debt	2,116,960	2,129,000
Mortgage-backed debt	877,775	943,956
HMBS related obligations at fair value	9,986,409	10,509,449
Deferred tax liabilities, net	4,602	4,774
Liabilities held for sale	0	2,402
Obligation to fund Non-Guarantor VIEs	0	0
Due to affiliates, net	0	0
Total liabilities	15,708,495	16,483,410
Stockholders' deficit:
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)	(112,981)	(24,440)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	15,595,514	16,458,970
Reportable Legal Entities | Parent Company
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	1,012	773	320	4,016
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	1,502	1,502
Residential loans at amortized cost, net	12,146	12,891
Residential loans at fair value	0	0
Receivables, net	17,180	97,424
Servicer and protective advances, net	0	0
Servicing rights, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Premises and equipment, net	979	1,181
Deferred tax assets, net	856
Assets held for sale		0
Other assets	27,540	30,789
Due from affiliates, net	363,630	392,998
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	1,614,885	1,620,339
Total assets	2,039,730	2,157,897
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
Payables and accrued liabilities	35,751	53,337
Servicer payables	0	0
Servicing advance liabilities	0	0
Warehouse borrowings	0	0
Servicing rights related liabilities at fair value	0	0
Corporate debt	2,116,960	2,129,000
Mortgage-backed debt	0	0
HMBS related obligations at fair value	0	0
Deferred tax liabilities, net	0	0
Liabilities held for sale		0
Obligation to fund Non-Guarantor VIEs	0	0
Due to affiliates, net	0	0
Total liabilities	2,152,711	2,182,337
Stockholders' deficit:
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)	(112,981)	(24,440)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	2,039,730	2,157,897
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	400,362	221,825	310,573	196,812
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	139,485	158,204
Residential loans at amortized cost, net	254,368	189,441
Residential loans at fair value	11,499,863	11,924,043
Receivables, net	125,949	154,852
Servicer and protective advances, net	440,864	481,099
Servicing rights, net	935,898	1,029,719
Goodwill	47,747	47,747
Intangible assets, net	9,718	11,347
Premises and equipment, net	65,183	81,447
Deferred tax assets, net	0
Assets held for sale		65,045
Other assets	148,652	191,671
Due from affiliates, net	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	68,052	134,612
Total assets	14,136,141	14,691,052
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
Payables and accrued liabilities	668,206	708,070
Servicer payables	143,785	146,332
Servicing advance liabilities	119,579	132,664
Warehouse borrowings	1,332,126	1,203,355
Servicing rights related liabilities at fair value	1,314	1,902
Corporate debt	0	0
Mortgage-backed debt	0	0
HMBS related obligations at fair value	9,986,409	10,509,449
Deferred tax liabilities, net	5,458	3,204
Liabilities held for sale		1,179
Obligation to fund Non-Guarantor VIEs	51,394	46,417
Due to affiliates, net	358,997	392,812
Total liabilities	12,667,268	13,145,384
Stockholders' deficit:
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)	1,468,873	1,545,668
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	14,136,141	14,691,052
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries and VIEs
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	77,000	2,000	2,000	2,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	31,690	44,757
Residential loans at amortized cost, net	442,566	462,877
Residential loans at fair value	406,006	492,499
Receivables, net	12,121	15,686
Servicer and protective advances, net	455,100	688,961
Servicing rights, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Premises and equipment, net	0	0
Deferred tax assets, net	0
Assets held for sale		6,040
Other assets	23,362	19,830
Due from affiliates, net	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	0	0
Total assets	1,447,845	1,732,650
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
Payables and accrued liabilities	4,994	5,474
Servicer payables	0	0
Servicing advance liabilities	424,555	650,565
Warehouse borrowings	0	0
Servicing rights related liabilities at fair value	0	0
Corporate debt	0	0
Mortgage-backed debt	877,775	943,956
HMBS related obligations at fair value	0	0
Deferred tax liabilities, net	0	1,570
Liabilities held for sale		1,223
Obligation to fund Non-Guarantor VIEs	0	0
Due to affiliates, net	4,633	185
Total liabilities	1,311,957	1,602,973
Stockholders' deficit:
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)	135,888	129,677
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	1,447,845	1,732,650
Eliminations and Reclassifications
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	19,221	25,320
Servicing rights, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Premises and equipment, net	0	0
Deferred tax assets, net	(856)
Assets held for sale		0
Other assets	0	0
Due from affiliates, net	(363,630)	(392,998)
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	(1,682,937)	(1,754,951)
Total assets	(2,028,202)	(2,122,629)
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
Payables and accrued liabilities	(7,561)	(7,870)
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 liabilities, net	(856)	0
Liabilities held for sale		0
Obligation to fund Non-Guarantor VIEs	(51,394)	(46,417)
Due to affiliates, net	(363,630)	(392,997)
Total liabilities	(423,441)	(447,284)
Stockholders' deficit:
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)	(1,604,761)	(1,675,345)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ (2,028,202)	$ (2,122,629)