CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	[1]
Cash pledged as collateral		$ 2,578,551	$ 1,584,686
Agency debentures, pledged assets		0	0
Credit risk transfer securities, pledged assets		167,549	184,160
Commercial real estate debt investments, pledged assets		4,361,972	2,911,828
Commercial real estate debt and preferred equity, held for investment, pledged assets	[2]	$ 654,111	$ 578,820
Common Stock, par value		$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common Stock, shares authorized		1,956,937,500	1,956,937,500
Common Stock, shares issued		924,929,607	935,929,561
Common Stock, shares outstanding		924,929,607	935,929,561
Senior Secured mortgages of Consolidated VIE, carrying value		$ 187,200	$ 262,700
Senior Secured mortgages of Consolidated VIE, fair value		4,000,000	2,600,000
Cash of Consolidated VIE	[3]	2,735,250	1,769,258
Commercial real estate debt and preferred equity, held for investment, allowance for losses		0	0
Securitized debt of a consolidated VIE		3,688,977	2,366,878
FREMF Trust
Cash of Consolidated VIE		9,700	48,500
Non-Agency mortgage-backed securities [Member]
Mortgage-backed securities, pledged assets		$ 1,057,899	$ 744,783
7.875% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Preferred Stock, shares authorized		7,412,500	7,412,500
Preferred Stock, shares issued		7,412,500	7,412,500
Preferred Stock, shares outstanding		7,412,500	7,412,500
7.625% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Preferred Stock, shares authorized		12,650,000	12,650,000
Preferred Stock, shares issued		12,000,000	12,000,000
Preferred Stock, shares outstanding		12,000,000	12,000,000
7.50% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Preferred Stock, shares authorized		18,400,000	18,400,000
Preferred Stock, shares issued		18,400,000	18,400,000
Preferred Stock, shares outstanding		18,400,000	18,400,000
Agency Mortgage Backed Securities
Mortgage-backed securities, pledged assets		$ 59,749,105	$ 60,678,548

[1] Derived from the audited consolidated financial statements at December 31, 2015.

[2] Includes senior securitized commercial mortgage loans of a consolidated VIE with a carrying value of $187.2 million and $262.7 million carried at amortized cost, net of an allowance for losses of $0, at June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively.

[3] Includes cash of consolidated VIEs of $9.7 million and $48.5 million at June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively.