Segment Reporting - Financial Results by Reportable Segment Reconciled to Consolidated Income Before Income Taxes and Total Assets by Reportable Segment Reconciled to Consolidated Total Assets (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees	$ 140,976	$ 257,306	$ 313,768	$ 394,315
Net gains on sales of loans	144,611	235,949	248,645	314,394
Interest income on loans	34,218	36,796	68,640	73,694
Insurance revenue	19,806	18,050	43,194	35,584
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	26,936	26,731	44,172	63,519
Other revenues	47,166	21,132	65,242	28,987
Total revenues	413,713	595,964	783,661	910,493
EXPENSES
Interest expense	74,690	68,290	149,539	122,432
Depreciation and amortization	18,391	17,614	37,035	33,947
Goodwill impairment	82,269	0	82,269	0
Other expenses, net	291,821	273,145	536,808	469,414
Total expenses	467,171	359,049	805,651	625,793
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Other net fair value gains (losses)	1,532	1,656	(971)	395
Total other gains (losses)	1,532	1,656	(971)	395
Income (loss) before income taxes	(51,926)	238,571	(22,961)	285,095
Assets	18,385,950		18,385,950		17,387,529
Income (loss) before income taxes			(22,961)	285,095
Servicing [Member]
EXPENSES
Goodwill impairment			0
Originations [Member]
EXPENSES
Goodwill impairment			0
Reverse Mortgage [Member]
EXPENSES
Goodwill impairment			82,269
Asset Receivables Management [Member]
EXPENSES
Goodwill impairment			0
Insurance [Member]
EXPENSES
Goodwill impairment			0
Operating Segments [Member] | Servicing [Member]
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees	126,640	244,432	287,466	369,559
Net gains on sales of loans	0	0	0	0
Interest income on loans	0	0	0	0
Insurance revenue	0	0	0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	0	0	0	0
Other revenues	1,157	457	9,711	919
Total revenues	127,797	244,889	297,177	370,478
EXPENSES
Interest expense	10,619	5,166	21,032	7,576
Depreciation and amortization	8,979	9,445	17,684	18,302
Goodwill impairment	0		0
Other expenses, net	159,583	116,914	275,900	208,962
Total expenses	179,181	131,525	314,616	234,840
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Other net fair value gains (losses)	(167)	(179)	(341)	(424)
Total other gains (losses)	(167)	(179)	(341)	(424)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(51,551)	113,185
Income (loss) before income taxes			(17,780)	135,214
Operating Segments [Member] | Originations [Member]
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees	0	0	0	0
Net gains on sales of loans	144,611	235,699	248,645	309,761
Interest income on loans	0	0	0	0
Insurance revenue	0	0	0	0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	0	0	0	0
Other revenues	5,688	15,527	10,868	17,524
Total revenues	150,299	251,226	259,513	327,285
EXPENSES
Interest expense	6,627	8,600	13,460	9,306
Depreciation and amortization	4,757	2,689	9,752	4,366
Goodwill impairment	0		0
Other expenses, net	74,569	94,058	151,745	133,475
Total expenses	85,953	105,347	174,957	147,147
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Other net fair value gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total other gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	64,346	145,879
Income (loss) before income taxes			84,556	180,138
Operating Segments [Member] | Reverse Mortgage [Member]
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees	8,777	6,624	16,387	13,372
Net gains on sales of loans	0	250	0	4,633
Interest income on loans	0	0	0	0
Insurance revenue	0	0	0	0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	26,936	26,731	44,172	63,519
Other revenues	3,005	2,366	6,027	5,311
Total revenues	38,718	35,971	66,586	86,835
EXPENSES
Interest expense	775	2,166	1,634	5,695
Depreciation and amortization	2,302	2,691	4,751	5,414
Goodwill impairment	82,269		82,269
Other expenses, net	40,003	40,931	74,363	73,454
Total expenses	125,349	45,788	163,017	84,563
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Other net fair value gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total other gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	(86,631)	(9,817)
Income (loss) before income taxes			(96,431)	2,272
Operating Segments [Member] | Asset Receivables Management [Member]
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees	10,760	11,102	19,806	21,192
Net gains on sales of loans	0	0	0	0
Interest income on loans	0	0	0	0
Insurance revenue	0	0	0	0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	0	0	0	0
Other revenues	1,461	69	1,461	133
Total revenues	12,221	11,171	21,267	21,325
EXPENSES
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	1,213	1,614	2,515	3,370
Goodwill impairment	0		0
Other expenses, net	6,182	5,722	11,427	11,752
Total expenses	7,395	7,336	13,942	15,122
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Other net fair value gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total other gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	4,826	3,835
Income (loss) before income taxes			7,325	6,203
Operating Segments [Member] | Insurance [Member]
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees	0	0	0	0
Net gains on sales of loans	0	0	0	0
Interest income on loans	0	0	0	0
Insurance revenue	19,806	18,050	43,194	35,584
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	0	0	0	0
Other revenues	242	6	246	13
Total revenues	20,048	18,056	43,440	35,597
EXPENSES
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	1,130	1,168	2,313	2,482
Goodwill impairment	0		0
Other expenses, net	7,975	7,934	15,517	16,442
Total expenses	9,105	9,102	17,830	18,924
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Other net fair value gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total other gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	10,943	8,954
Income (loss) before income taxes			25,610	16,673
Operating Segments [Member] | Loans and Residuals [Member]
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees	0	0	0	0
Net gains on sales of loans	0	0	0	0
Interest income on loans	34,218	36,796	68,640	73,694
Insurance revenue	0	0	0	0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	0	0	0	0
Other revenues	1	1	3	4
Total revenues	34,219	36,797	68,643	73,698
EXPENSES
Interest expense	19,860	21,800	40,163	44,096
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Goodwill impairment	0		0
Other expenses, net	5,985	4,813	9,609	10,643
Total expenses	25,845	26,613	49,772	54,739
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Other net fair value gains (losses)	(905)	566	(1,147)	404
Total other gains (losses)	(905)	566	(1,147)	404
Income (loss) before income taxes	7,469	10,750
Income (loss) before income taxes			17,724	19,363
Operating Segments [Member] | Other Segments [Member]
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees	0	0	0	0
Net gains on sales of loans	0	0	0	0
Interest income on loans	0	0	0	0
Insurance revenue	0	0	0	0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	0	0	0	0
Other revenues	35,612	2,706	36,926	5,122
Total revenues	35,612	2,706	36,926	5,122
EXPENSES
Interest expense	36,809	30,558	73,250	55,759
Depreciation and amortization	10	7	20	13
Goodwill impairment	0		0
Other expenses, net	2,725	7,625	8,138	24,533
Total expenses	39,544	38,190	81,408	80,305
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Other net fair value gains (losses)	2,604	1,269	517	415
Total other gains (losses)	2,604	1,269	517	415
Income (loss) before income taxes	(1,328)	(34,215)
Income (loss) before income taxes			(43,965)	(74,768)
Eliminations [Member]
REVENUES
Net servicing revenue and fees	(5,201)	(4,852)	(9,891)	(9,808)
Net gains on sales of loans	0	0	0	0
Interest income on loans	0	0	0	0
Insurance revenue	0	0	0	0
Net fair value gains on reverse loans and related HMBS obligations	0	0	0	0
Other revenues	0	0	0	(39)
Total revenues	(5,201)	(4,852)	(9,891)	(9,847)
EXPENSES
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Goodwill impairment	0		0
Other expenses, net	(5,201)	(4,852)	(9,891)	(9,847)
Total expenses	(5,201)	(4,852)	(9,891)	(9,847)
OTHER GAINS (LOSSES)
Other net fair value gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Total other gains (losses)	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes			$ 0	$ 0