Separate Financial Information of Subsidiary Guarantors of Indebtedness - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees	$ 91,321	$ 31,936	$ 204,508	$ (73,826)
Net gains on sales of loans	70,545	100,176	144,901	184,653
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	7,872	7,650	22,574	42,858
Interest income on loans	10,489	11,849	21,469	24,020
Insurance revenue	2,650	11,277	7,590	21,644
Other revenues, net	25,910	24,585	53,030	54,895
Total revenues	208,787	187,473	454,072	254,244
EXPENSES
General and administrative	117,544	135,776	249,171	265,382
Salaries and benefits	101,071	133,681	209,028	266,320
Interest expense	60,884	64,400	121,294	128,648
Depreciation and amortization	10,042	14,540	20,974	28,963
Goodwill impairment	0	215,412	0	215,412
Corporate allocations	0	0	0	0
Other expenses, net	3,054	1,897	5,837	4,403
Total expenses	292,595	565,706	606,304	909,128
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Gain on sale of business	7	0	67,734	0
Other net fair value gains (losses)	(8,105)	(819)	(3,022)	(2,963)
Gain (loss) on extinguishment	(709)	0	(709)	928
Other	0	(532)	0	(1,556)
Total other gains (losses)	(8,807)	(1,351)	64,003	(3,591)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(92,615)	(379,584)	(88,229)	(658,475)
Income tax expense (benefit)	1,694	110,379	1,572	4,190
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	(94,309)	(489,963)	(89,801)	(662,665)
Equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	(94,309)	(489,963)	(89,801)	(662,665)
Comprehensive income (loss)	(94,314)	(489,947)	(89,823)	(662,624)
Reportable Legal Entities | Parent Company
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees	0	0	0	0
Net gains on sales of loans	0	0	0	0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	0	0	0	0
Interest income on loans	235	295	474	612
Insurance revenue	0	0	0	0
Other revenues, net	27	(402)	171	(808)
Total revenues	262	(107)	645	(196)
EXPENSES
General and administrative	13,660	11,348	29,366	22,589
Salaries and benefits	10,319	18,583	21,821	31,093
Interest expense	35,137	35,920	70,223	71,816
Depreciation and amortization	182	175	362	364
Goodwill impairment		0		0
Corporate allocations	(16,890)	(29,255)	(41,001)	(51,123)
Other expenses, net	62	146	203	417
Total expenses	42,470	36,917	80,974	75,156
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Gain on sale of business	0		0
Other net fair value gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on extinguishment	0			928
Other		0		0
Total other gains (losses)	0	0	0	928
Income (loss) before income taxes	(42,208)	(37,024)	(80,329)	(74,424)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(11,051)	(15,276)	(34,582)	(12,742)
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	(31,157)	(21,748)	(45,747)	(61,682)
Equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	(63,152)	(468,215)	(44,054)	(600,983)
Net income (loss)	(94,309)	(489,963)	(89,801)	(662,665)
Comprehensive income (loss)	(94,314)	(489,947)	(89,823)	(662,624)
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees	93,323	34,179	208,588	(69,296)
Net gains on sales of loans	70,545	100,176	144,901	184,653
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	7,872	7,876	22,532	43,084
Interest income on loans	344	98	624	202
Insurance revenue	2,650	10,433	7,338	19,928
Other revenues, net	25,869	25,728	52,832	57,242
Total revenues	200,603	178,490	436,815	235,813
EXPENSES
General and administrative	116,254	137,748	243,848	271,565
Salaries and benefits	90,752	115,098	187,207	235,227
Interest expense	14,175	12,136	27,253	23,709
Depreciation and amortization	9,860	14,191	20,559	28,246
Goodwill impairment		215,412		215,412
Corporate allocations	16,890	29,255	41,001	51,123
Other expenses, net	2,091	725	3,230	1,964
Total expenses	250,022	524,565	523,098	827,246
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Gain on sale of business	7		67,734
Other net fair value gains (losses)	141	154	(1,206)	370
Gain (loss) on extinguishment	(266)			0
Other		(532)		(1,556)
Total other gains (losses)	(118)	(378)	66,262	(1,186)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(49,537)	(346,453)	(20,021)	(592,619)
Income tax expense (benefit)	10,629	122,851	33,327	12,979
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	(60,166)	(469,304)	(53,348)	(605,598)
Equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	(3,469)	305	11,357	678
Net income (loss)	(63,635)	(468,999)	(41,991)	(604,920)
Comprehensive income (loss)	(63,635)	(468,999)	(41,991)	(604,920)
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries and VIEs
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees	0	0	0	0
Net gains on sales of loans	0	0	0	0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	0	(226)	42	(226)
Interest income on loans	9,910	11,456	20,371	23,206
Insurance revenue	0	1,032	309	2,100
Other revenues, net	14,682	16,469	31,711	32,085
Total revenues	24,592	28,731	52,433	57,165
EXPENSES
General and administrative	2,712	3,261	5,340	6,396
Salaries and benefits	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	11,587	17,119	23,848	34,735
Depreciation and amortization	0	174	53	353
Goodwill impairment		0		0
Corporate allocations	0	0	0	0
Other expenses, net	901	1,026	2,404	2,022
Total expenses	15,200	21,580	31,645	43,506
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Gain on sale of business	0		0
Other net fair value gains (losses)	(8,246)	(973)	(1,816)	(3,333)
Gain (loss) on extinguishment	(443)			0
Other		0		0
Total other gains (losses)	(8,689)	(973)	(2,259)	(3,333)
Income (loss) before income taxes	703	6,178	18,529	10,326
Income tax expense (benefit)	2,196	3,149	3,162	4,097
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	(1,493)	3,029	15,367	6,229
Equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	(1,493)	3,029	15,367	6,229
Comprehensive income (loss)	(1,493)	3,029	15,367	6,229
Eliminations and Reclassifications
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees	(2,002)	(2,243)	(4,080)	(4,530)
Net gains on sales of loans	0	0	0	0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	0	0	0	0
Interest income on loans	0	0	0	0
Insurance revenue	0	(188)	(57)	(384)
Other revenues, net	(14,668)	(17,210)	(31,684)	(33,624)
Total revenues	(16,670)	(19,641)	(35,821)	(38,538)
EXPENSES
General and administrative	(15,082)	(16,581)	(29,383)	(35,168)
Salaries and benefits	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	(15)	(775)	(30)	(1,612)
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Goodwill impairment		0		0
Corporate allocations	0	0	0	0
Other expenses, net	0	0	0	0
Total expenses	(15,097)	(17,356)	(29,413)	(36,780)
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Gain on sale of business	0		0
Other net fair value gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on extinguishment	0			0
Other		0		0
Total other gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	(1,573)	(2,285)	(6,408)	(1,758)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(80)	(345)	(335)	(144)
Income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	(1,493)	(1,940)	(6,073)	(1,614)
Equity in earnings (losses) of consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs	66,621	467,910	32,697	600,305
Net income (loss)	65,128	465,970	26,624	598,691
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ 65,128	$ 465,970	$ 26,624	$ 598,691