CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
Net income	$ 582,716	$ 281,882	$ 442,099
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	7,297	(38,643)	(41,615)
Change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicer rights, equity method investees	(16,526)	(31,160)	(57,280)
Change in fair value of investments in servicer advances	7,768	57,491	(84,217)
Earnings from consumer loan equity method investees	0	0	(53,840)
(Gain) / loss on consumer loans investment	0	0	(92,020)
(Gain) / loss on remeasurement of consumer loan investment	(71,250)	0	0
(Gain) / loss on settlement of investments (net)	48,800	19,626	(31,297)
Unrealized (gain) / loss on derivative instruments	(5,774)	3,538	8,847
Unrealized (gain) / loss on other ABS	2,322	(879)	0
(Gain) / loss on transfer of loans to REO	(18,356)	(2,065)	(17,489)
(Gain) / loss on transfer of loans to other assets	(2,938)	690	0
(Gain) / loss on Excess MSR recapture agreements	(2,802)	(2,999)	(1,157)
Accretion and other amortization	(747,932)	(525,298)	(278,408)
Other-than-temporary impairment	10,264	5,788	1,391
Valuation provision (reversal) on loans and real estate owned	77,716	18,596	9,891
Non-cash portions of servicing revenue, net	(88,325)	0	0
Non-cash directors’ compensation	300	450	453
Deferred tax provision	34,846	(6,633)	15,114
Changes in:
Other assets	229,916	216,778	(14,582)
Servicing advance receivables	(2,503)	0	0
Due to affiliates	23,563	(33,639)	38,255
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	3,223	(42,494)	31,945
Other operating cash flows:
Interest received from excess mortgage servicing rights	152,589	127,131	49,880
Interest received from servicer advance investments	185,204	172,711	110,247
Interest received from Non-Agency RMBS	100,883	43,824	6,660
Interest received from residential mortgage loans, held-for-investment	2,815	0	7,969
Interest received from PCD consumer loans, held-for-investment	49,582	0	0
Purchases of residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	(1,196,018)	(1,278,322)	(1,577,933)
Proceeds from sales of purchased residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	1,109,876	1,226,442	1,245,352
Principal repayments from purchased residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	61,494	55,804	2,413
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	560,796	306,493	(172,055)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Acquisition of HLSS (Note 1), net of cash acquired	0	(881,165)	0
SpringCastle Transaction (Note 9), net of cash acquired	(55,523)	0	0
Restricted cash acquired from SpringCastle transaction	74,604	0	0
Purchase of residential mortgage loans	(191,081)	(290,652)	(884,557)
Purchase of derivatives	(8,292)	(5,830)	(70,218)
Purchase of real estate owned and other assets	(14,097)	(26,208)	(10,690)
Purchase of consumer loans	(176,107)	0	0
Draws on revolving consumer loans	(49,289)	0	0
Payments for settlement of derivatives	(84,587)	(85,493)	(43,133)
Return of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	175,243	154,777	42,603
Proceeds from sale of residential mortgage loans	11,176	643,788	0
Proceeds from settlement of derivatives	55,851	37,938	87,645
Proceeds from sale of real estate owned	71,570	57,699	16,502
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(182,583)	(233,188)	(1,690,111)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
Repayments of repurchase agreements	(29,866,052)	(8,798,578)	(4,869,799)
Margin deposits under repurchase agreements and derivatives	(487,072)	(387,143)	(385,814)
Repayments of notes and bonds payable	(10,843,732)	(7,286,860)	(5,416,883)
Payment of deferred financing fees	(37,908)	(45,654)	(8,444)
Common stock dividends paid	(433,414)	(303,023)	(227,646)
Borrowings under repurchase agreements	31,015,797	9,607,475	6,412,137
Return of margin deposits under repurchase agreements and derivatives	486,050	391,705	366,925
Borrowings under notes and bonds payable	9,719,242	6,053,950	5,841,474
Issuance of common stock	279,600	882,166	173,507
Costs related to issuance of common stock	(825)	(3,512)	(2,693)
Noncontrolling interest in equity of consolidated subsidiaries - contributions	0	0	142,082
Noncontrolling interest in equity of consolidated subsidiaries - distributions	(97,560)	(81,596)	(225,609)
Purchase of Noncontrolling Interest in the Buyer	(3,280)	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(269,154)	28,930	1,799,237
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash	109,059	102,235	(62,929)
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash, Beginning of Period	344,638	242,403	305,332
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash, End of Period	453,697	344,638	242,403
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information
Cash paid during the period for interest	350,028	244,188	127,998
Cash paid during the period for income taxes	1,109	535	14,115
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Dividends declared but not paid	115,356	106,017	53,745
Transfer from residential mortgage loans to real estate owned and other assets	249,497	90,414	21,842
Transfer from residential mortgage loans, held-for-investment to residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	316,199	0	846,904
Non-cash distributions to noncontrolling interest	69,466	0	0
Portion of HLSS Acquisition (Note 1) paid in common stock	0	434,092	0
Deferred purchase price of MSRs	90,058	0	0
Real estate securities retained from loan securitizations	165,782	36,967	54,395
Remeasurement of Consumer Loan Companies noncontrolling interest	110,438	0	0
HLSS [Member]
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Capital contributions by HLSS Ltd.	0	5,161	0
ASU 2014-11 [Member]
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Reclassification resulting from the application of ASU No. 2014-11	0	85,955	0
Agency RMBS [Member]
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Payments to acquire held-to-maturity securities	(6,812,258)	(4,610,680)	(1,437,952)
Principal repayments from securities	95,030	129,112	271,673
Proceeds from sale of RMBS	6,594,868	4,468,398	796,392
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Sale of investments, primarily Agency RMBS, settled after year end	1,687,788	1,538,481	0
Non-agency RMBS [Member]
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Payments to acquire held-to-maturity securities	(2,577,625)	(1,252,516)	(1,690,770)
Principal repayments from securities	726,176	135,948	103,934
Proceeds from sale of RMBS	261,489	425,761	1,288,980
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Purchase of Agency and Non-Agency RMBS, settled after year end	1,381,968	725,672	0
Excess MSRs [Member]
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Acquisition of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	(2,146)	(252,127)	(94,113)
Mortgage Servicing Rights and Servicer Advances [Member]
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Acquisition of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	(526,653)	0	0
Excess MSRs Investees [Member]
Other operating cash flows:
Distributions of earnings, equity method investees	22,046	37,874	53,427
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Return of investments in equity method investments	16,913	8,683	25,743
Consumer Loan, Equity Method Investees [Member]
Other operating cash flows:
Distributions of earnings, equity method investees	0	0	53,840
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Return of investments in equity method investments	0	0	306,473
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Non-cash distributions from Consumer Loan Companies	25	585	609
Servicer Advance Investments [Member]
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Payments to acquire held-to-maturity securities	(15,266,816)	(14,945,858)	(6,828,135)
Principal repayments from securities	17,158,395	16,008,741	6,389,154
Residential Mortgage Loans [Member]
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Principal repayments from loans	38,700	46,496	40,358
Consumer Loan [Member]
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Principal repayments from loans	$ 301,876	$ 0	$ 0