Fair Value - Significant unobservable inputs (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Carrying Value	$ 77,256,266	$ 85,698,354
Carrying Value	72,696,193	$ 81,527,411
VIE liabilities
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Carrying Value	2,585,369
Loans held-for-sale
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Carrying Value	63,279
RMBS
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Carrying Value	253,915
CMBS
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Carrying Value	31,546
Domestic servicing rights
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Carrying Value	55,082
VIE Assets
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Carrying Value	$ 67,123,261
Fair value measurements on recurring basis \| Level III \| VIE liabilities \| Discounted cash flow \| Minimum
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Yield (as a percent)	0.00%	0.00%
Duration	0 years	0 years
Fair value measurements on recurring basis \| Level III \| VIE liabilities \| Discounted cash flow \| Maximum
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Yield (as a percent)	960.40%	920.20%
Duration	12 years	17 years 6 months
Fair value measurements on recurring basis \| Level III \| Loans held-for-sale \| Discounted cash flow
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Duration	10 years
Fair value measurements on recurring basis \| Level III \| Loans held-for-sale \| Discounted cash flow \| Minimum
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Yield (as a percent)	5.00%	4.80%
Duration		5 years
Fair value measurements on recurring basis \| Level III \| Loans held-for-sale \| Discounted cash flow \| Maximum
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Yield (as a percent)	5.70%	5.30%
Duration		10 years
Fair value measurements on recurring basis \| Level III \| RMBS \| Discounted cash flow
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Portfolio percentage	57.00%	76.00%
Fair value measurements on recurring basis \| Level III \| RMBS \| Discounted cash flow \| Minimum
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Constant prepayment rate (as a percent)	2.80%	2.60%
Constant default rate (as a percent)	1.10%	1.00%
Loss severity (as a percent)	12.00%	10.00%
Delinquency rate (as a percent)	2.00%	2.00%
Servicer advances (as a percent)	23.00%	30.00%
Annual coupon deterioration (as a percent)	0.00%	0.00%
Putback amount per projected total collateral loss (as a percent)	0.00%	0.00%
Loss severity for specified percentage of portfolio (as a percent)	45.00%	45.00%
Fair value measurements on recurring basis \| Level III \| RMBS \| Discounted cash flow \| Maximum
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Constant prepayment rate (as a percent)	17.00%	17.80%
Constant default rate (as a percent)	8.10%	8.90%
Loss severity (as a percent)	79.00%	79.00%
Delinquency rate (as a percent)	29.00%	29.00%
Servicer advances (as a percent)	94.00%	94.00%
Annual coupon deterioration (as a percent)	0.60%	0.50%
Putback amount per projected total collateral loss (as a percent)	15.00%	11.00%
Loss severity for specified percentage of portfolio (as a percent)	80.00%	80.00%
Fair value measurements on recurring basis \| Level III \| CMBS \| Discounted cash flow \| Minimum
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Yield (as a percent)	0.00%	0.00%
Duration	0 years	0 years
Fair value measurements on recurring basis \| Level III \| CMBS \| Discounted cash flow \| Maximum
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Yield (as a percent)	172.00%	435.80%
Duration	18 years 8 months 12 days	18 years 6 months
Fair value measurements on recurring basis \| Level III \| Domestic servicing rights \| Discounted cash flow
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Yield (as a percent)	7.75%	8.25%
Discount rate (as a percent)	15.00%	15.00%
Fair value measurements on recurring basis \| Level III \| Domestic servicing rights \| Discounted cash flow \| Minimum
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Control migration (as a percent)	0.00%	0.00%
Fair value measurements on recurring basis \| Level III \| Domestic servicing rights \| Discounted cash flow \| Maximum
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Control migration (as a percent)	80.00%	80.00%
Fair value measurements on recurring basis \| Level III \| VIE Assets \| Discounted cash flow \| Minimum
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Yield (as a percent)	0.00%	0.00%
Duration	0 years	0 years
Fair value measurements on recurring basis \| Level III \| VIE Assets \| Discounted cash flow \| Maximum
Quantitative information for Level 3 Fair Value Measurements for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on recurring basis
Yield (as a percent)	960.40%	920.20%
Duration	12 years	17 years 6 months

Represents the annual coupon deterioration, used as an input to measure fair value.

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- Definition

Represents the constant default rate, used as an input to measure fair value.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Represents the constant prepayment rate, used as an input to measure fair value.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Control migration of financial instrument used as an input to measure fair value.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Represents the delinquency rate, used as an input to measure fair value.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Duration of financial instrument used as an input to measure fair value.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Loss, including interest and principal, incurred on a defaulted security, expressed as a percentage of the original principal balance, used as an input to measure fair value for a specified percentage of the portfolio.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Represents the putback amount per projected total collateral loss, used as an input to measure fair value.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Represents the servicer advances, used as an input to measure fair value.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Represents the specified percentage of the portfolio falling within a narrower range of loss severity assumptions used as an input to measure fair value.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are recognized. Assets are probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.18)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 03
-Paragraph 12
-Article 7

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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

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- Definition

Interest rate used to find the present value of an amount to be paid or received in the future as an input to measure fair value. For example, but not limited to, weighted average cost of capital (WACC), cost of capital, cost of equity and cost of debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (bbb)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258

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- Definition

Percentage of assumed long-term growth in revenues, used as an input to measure fair value.

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- Definition

Loss, including interest and principal, incurred on a defaulted security, expressed as a percentage of the original principal balance, used as an input to measure fair value.

+ References

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- Definition

Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all liabilities that are recognized. Liabilities are probable future sacrifices of economic benefits arising from present obligations of an entity to transfer assets or provide services to other entities in the future.

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