CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
Net income	$ 281,882	$ 442,099	$ 265,623
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	(38,643)	(41,615)	(53,332)
Change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicer rights, equity method investees	(31,160)	(57,280)	(50,343)
Change in fair value of investments in servicer advances	57,491	(84,217)	0
Earnings from consumer loan equity method investees	0	(53,840)	(82,856)
Unrealized (gain) / loss on derivative instruments	5,957	13,037	(1,820)
Accretion and other amortization	(525,298)	(278,408)	(59,250)
(Gain) / loss on settlement of investments (net)	17,207	(35,487)	(52,657)
(Gain) / loss on transfer of loans to REO	(2,065)	(17,489)	0
(Gain) / loss on Excess MSR recapture agreements	(2,999)	(1,157)	0
(Gain) / loss on consumer loans investment	0	(92,020)	0
Other-than-temporary impairment	5,788	1,391	4,993
Valuation provision on loans and real estate owned	18,596	9,891	461
Unrealized (gain) / loss on other ABS	(879)	0	0
Non-cash directors’ compensation	450	453	78
Deferred tax provision	(6,633)	15,114	0
Changes in:
Restricted cash	14,270	3,920	(2,790)
Other assets	217,468	(14,582)	(8,274)
Due to affiliates	(33,639)	38,255	14,033
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	(42,494)	31,945	6,360
Reduction of liability deemed as capital contribution by Newcastle	0	0	11,515
Other operating cash flows:
Interest received from excess mortgage servicing rights	127,131	49,880	26,391
Interest received from servicer advance investments	172,711	110,247	0
Interest received from Non-Agency RMBS	43,824	6,660	3,988
Interest received from residential mortgage loans, held-for-investment	0	7,969	2,212
Purchases of residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	(1,278,322)	(1,577,933)	0
Proceeds from sales of purchased residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	1,226,442	1,245,352	0
Principal repayments from purchased residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	55,804	2,413	0
Cash proceeds from investments, in excess of interest income	0	0	41,435
Net cash proceeds deemed as capital distributions to Newcastle	0	0	(36,149)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	320,763	(168,135)	156,928
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Acquisition of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	(252,127)	(94,113)	(63,434)
Acquisition of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights, equity method investees	0	0	(233,764)
Acquisition of HLSS, net of cash acquired	(960,719)	0	0
Purchase of servicer advance investments	(14,945,858)	(6,828,135)	(670,820)
Purchase of Agency RMBS	(4,610,680)	(1,437,952)	(605,114)
Purchase of Non-Agency RMBS	(1,252,516)	(1,690,770)	(407,689)
Purchase of residential mortgage loans, held-for-investment	(290,652)	(884,557)	0
Purchase of derivative instruments	(5,830)	(70,218)	(70,227)
Purchase of real estate owned	(26,208)	(10,690)	0
Payments for settlement of derivatives	(85,493)	(43,133)	0
Return of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	154,777	42,603	24,735
Principal repayments from servicer advance investments	16,008,741	6,389,154	103,394
Principal repayments from Agency RMBS	129,112	271,673	302,920
Principal repayments from Non-Agency RMBS	135,948	103,934	62,507
Principal repayments from residential mortgage loans	46,496	40,358	3,809
Proceeds from sale of residential mortgage loans	643,788	0	0
Proceeds from sale of Agency RMBS	4,468,398	796,392	0
Proceeds from sale of Non-Agency RMBS	425,761	1,288,980	521,865
Proceeds from settlement of derivatives	37,938	87,645	0
Proceeds from sale of real estate owned	57,699	16,502	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(312,742)	(1,690,111)	(997,441)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
Repayments of repurchase agreements	(8,798,578)	(4,869,799)	(2,271,765)
Margin deposits under repurchase agreements and derivatives	(387,143)	(385,814)	(61,152)
Repayments of notes payable	(7,286,860)	(5,416,883)	(59,149)
Payment of deferred financing fees	(45,654)	(8,444)	(5,541)
Common stock dividends paid	(303,023)	(227,646)	(62,020)
Borrowings under repurchase agreements	9,607,475	6,412,137	2,634,990
Return of margin deposits under repurchase agreements and derivatives	391,705	366,925	21,020
Borrowings under notes payable	6,053,950	5,841,474	423,515
Issuance of common stock	882,166	173,507	0
Costs related to issuance of common stock	(3,512)	(2,693)	0
Capital contributions	0	0	245,058
Noncontrolling interest in equity of consolidated subsidiaries - contributions	0	142,082	247,551
Noncontrolling interest in equity of consolidated subsidiaries - distributions	(81,596)	(225,609)	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	28,930	1,799,237	1,112,507
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	36,951	(59,009)	271,994
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Period	212,985	271,994	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Period	249,936	212,985	271,994
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information
Cash paid during the period for interest	244,188	127,998	10,212
Cash paid during the period for income taxes	535	14,115	0
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities Prior to Date of Cash Contribution by Newcastle
Cash proceeds from investments, in excess of interest income			41,435
Acquisition of real estate securities			242,750
Acquisition of residential mortgage loans, held-for-investment			35,138
Borrowings under repurchase agreements			1,179,068
Repayments of repurchase agreements			3,902
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities Subsequent to Date of Cash Contribution by Newcastle
Acquisition of restricted cash	0	0	30,548
Acquisition of servicer advance investments	0	0	2,093,704
Borrowings under notes payable--servicer advance investments	0	0	2,124,252
Dividends declared but not paid	106,017	53,745	63,297
Transfer from residential mortgage loans to real estate owned and other assets	90,414	21,842	0
Transfer from residential mortgage loans, held-for-investment to residential mortgage loans, held-for- sale	0	846,904	0
Portion of HLSS Acquisition (Note 1) paid in common stock	434,092	0	0
Real estate securities retained from loan securitizations	36,967	54,395	0
Newcastle [Member]
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities Prior to Date of Cash Contribution by Newcastle
Capital contributions			648,408
Contributions in-kind			1,093,684
Capital distributions			1,228,054
HLSS [Member]
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities Prior to Date of Cash Contribution by Newcastle
Capital contributions	5,161	0	0
Agency RMBS [Member]
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities Subsequent to Date of Cash Contribution by Newcastle
Purchase of investments, primarily Agency RMBS, settled after quarter end	725,672	0	0
Sale of Agency RMBS settled after quarter end	1,538,481	0	0
ASU 2014-11 [Member]
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities Subsequent to Date of Cash Contribution by Newcastle
Reclassification resulting from the application of ASU No. 2014-11	85,955	0	0
Excess MSRs Investees [Member]
Other operating cash flows:
Distributions of earnings, equity method investees	37,874	53,427	44,454
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Return of investments, equity method investees	8,683	25,743	4,018
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities Prior to Date of Cash Contribution by Newcastle
Acquisition of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights, equity method investees			125,099
Consumer Loan, Equity Method Investees [Member]
Other operating cash flows:
Distributions of earnings, equity method investees	0	53,840	82,856
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Return of investments, equity method investees	0	306,473	30,359
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities Prior to Date of Cash Contribution by Newcastle
Acquisition of investments in consumer loan equity method investees			245,121
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities Subsequent to Date of Cash Contribution by Newcastle
Non-cash distribution from Consumer Loan Companies	$ 585	$ 609	$ 0