CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]	Total New Residential Stockholders’ Equity [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests in Equity of Consolidated Subsidiaries [Member]
Balance, beginning at Dec. 31, 2012	$ 378,356	$ 0	$ 362,830	$ 0	$ 15,526	$ 378,356	$ 0
Balance, beginning (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2012		0
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Dividends declared	(125,317)			(125,317)		(125,317)
Capital contributions	1,141,017		893,466			893,466	247,551
Contributions in-kind	1,093,684		1,093,684			1,093,684
Capital distributions	(1,228,054)		(1,228,054)			(1,228,054)
Issuance of common stock	0	$ 1,265	(1,265)
Issuance of common stock (in shares)		126,512,823
Option exercises	0	$ 1	(1)
Option exercise (in shares)		80,317
Director share grants	78		78			78
Director share grants (in shares)		5,847
Comprehensive income (loss)
Net income (loss)	265,623		37,646	228,303		265,949	(326)
Net unrealized gain (loss) on securities	35,352				35,352	35,352
Reclassification of net realized (gain) loss on securities into earnings	(47,664)				(47,664)	(47,664)
Total comprehensive income	253,311					253,637	(326)
Balance, ending at Dec. 31, 2013	1,513,075	$ 1,266	1,158,384	102,986	3,214	1,265,850	247,225
Balance, ending (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013		126,598,987
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Dividends declared	(218,094)			(218,094)		(218,094)
Capital contributions	142,082						142,082
Capital distributions	(225,609)						(225,609)
Issuance of common stock	169,905	$ 144	169,761			169,905
Issuance of common stock (in shares)		14,375,000
Option exercises	$ 909	$ 4	905			909
Option exercise (in shares)	648,573	426,102
Dilution impact of distributions from consolidated subsidiaries	$ 0		(916)			(916)	916
Director share grants	453		453			453
Director share grants (in shares)		34,816
Comprehensive income (loss)
Net income (loss)	442,099			352,877		352,877	89,222
Net unrealized gain (loss) on securities	89,415				89,415	89,415
Reclassification of net realized (gain) loss on securities into earnings	(64,310)				(64,310)	(64,310)
Total comprehensive income	467,204					377,982	89,222
Balance, ending at Dec. 31, 2014	1,849,925	$ 1,414	1,328,587	237,769	28,319	1,596,089	253,836
Balance, ending (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014		141,434,905
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Dividends declared	(355,295)			(355,295)		(355,295)
Capital contributions	5,161						5,161
Capital distributions	(81,596)						(81,596)
Issuance of common stock	1,312,746	$ 854	1,311,892			1,312,746
Issuance of common stock (in shares)		85,435,389
Option exercises	$ 0	$ 36	(36)
Option exercise (in shares)	6,734,525	3,570,984
Director share grants	$ 450		450			450
Director share grants (in shares)		29,924
Modified retrospective adjustment for the adoption of ASU No. 2014-11 | ASU 2014-11 [Member]	(2,310)			(2,310)		(2,310)
Comprehensive income (loss)
Net income (loss)	281,882			268,636		268,636	13,246
Net unrealized gain (loss) on securities	(17,075)				(17,075)	(17,075)
Reclassification of net realized (gain) loss on securities into earnings	(7,308)				(7,308)	(7,308)
Total comprehensive income	257,499					244,253	13,246
Balance, ending at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 2,986,580	$ 2,304	$ 2,640,893	$ 148,800	$ 3,936	$ 2,795,933	$ 190,647
Balance, ending (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015		230,471,202