INVESTMENTS IN RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE LOANS - Schedule of Residential Mortgage Loans Outstanding by Loan Type, Excluding REO (Details) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
		Feb. 28, 2013	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) loan		Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) loan
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Weighted Average Life (Years)			1 year 10 months 3 days
Real Estate Securities [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Residential mortgage loans, federal income tax basis			$ 905,700		$ 1,204,200
Reverse Mortgage Loans [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Outstanding Face Amount	[1],[2]		0		34,423
Carrying Value	[1],[2],[3]		$ 0		$ 19,560
Loan Count | loan	[1],[2]		0		136
Weighted Average Yield	[1],[2]		0.00%		10.00%
Weighted Average Life (Years)	[1],[2],[4]				4 years 2 months 14 days
Floating Rate Loans as a % of Face Amount	[1],[2]		0.00%		21.80%
Loan to Value Ratio (LTV)	[1],[2],[5]		0.00%		112.90%
Weighted Average Delinquency	[1],[2],[6]		0.00%		71.30%
Interest in reverse mortgage loans		70.00%	70.00%
Unpaid principal balance			$ 500		$ 400
Percentage of loans that have reached a termination event			60.90%		71.00%
Performing Loans [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Outstanding Face Amount	[7]		$ 0		$ 21,483
Carrying Value	[3],[7]		$ 0		$ 19,964
Loan Count | loan	[7]		0		671
Weighted Average Yield	[7]		0.00%		9.10%
Weighted Average Life (Years)	[4],[7]				6 years 8 months
Floating Rate Loans as a % of Face Amount	[7]		0.00%		17.10%
Loan to Value Ratio (LTV)	[5],[7]		0.00%		77.40%
Weighted Average Delinquency	[6],[7]		0.00%		7.50%
Weighted Average FICO	[7],[8]		0		626
Purchased Credit Deteriorated Loans [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Outstanding Face Amount	[9]		$ 203,673		$ 450,229
Carrying Value	[3],[9]		$ 190,761		$ 290,654
Loan Count | loan	[9]		1,183		2,118
Weighted Average Yield	[9]		5.50%		5.50%
Weighted Average Life (Years)	[4],[9]		2 years 8 months 29 days		2 years 6 months 18 days
Floating Rate Loans as a % of Face Amount	[9]		8.70%		18.70%
Loan to Value Ratio (LTV)	[5],[9]		71.50%		115.40%
Weighted Average Delinquency	[6],[9]		94.90%		97.60%
Weighted Average FICO	[8],[9]		590		578
Residential Mortgage Loans, held-for-investment [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Outstanding Face Amount			$ 203,673		$ 506,135
Carrying Value	[3]		$ 190,761		$ 330,178
Loan Count | loan			1,183		2,925
Weighted Average Yield			5.50%		6.00%
Weighted Average Life (Years)	[4]		2 years 8 months 29 days		2 years 10 months 1 day
Floating Rate Loans as a % of Face Amount			8.70%		18.80%
Loan to Value Ratio (LTV)	[5]		71.50%		113.60%
Weighted Average Delinquency	[6]		94.90%		92.00%
Weighted Average FICO	[8]		590		580
Reverse Mortgage Loans, Held-For-Sale [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Outstanding Face Amount	[1],[2]		$ 22,645
Carrying Value	[1],[2],[3]		$ 11,468
Loan Count | loan	[1],[2]		69
Weighted Average Yield	[1],[2]		7.20%
Weighted Average Life (Years)	[1],[2],[4]		4 years 6 months 16 days
Floating Rate Loans as a % of Face Amount	[1],[2]		15.40%
Loan to Value Ratio (LTV)	[1],[2],[5]		135.60%
Weighted Average Delinquency	[1],[2],[6]		70.70%
Performing Loans, held-for-sale [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Outstanding Face Amount	[7]		$ 179,983	[10]	$ 270,585
Carrying Value	[3],[7]		$ 175,194	[10]	$ 277,084
Loan Count | loan	[7]		1,957	[10]	1,838
Weighted Average Yield	[7]		4.30%	[10]	4.60%
Weighted Average Life (Years)	[4],[7]		5 years 10 months 30 days	[10]	4 years 10 months 14 days
Floating Rate Loans as a % of Face Amount	[7]		22.40%	[10]	4.60%
Loan to Value Ratio (LTV)	[5],[7]		102.90%	[10]	57.00%
Weighted Average Delinquency	[6],[7]		6.40%	[10]	0.00%
Weighted Average FICO	[7],[8]		625	[10]	702
Non-Performing Loans, held-for-sale [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Outstanding Face Amount	[9]		$ 706,302	[10]	$ 589,129
Carrying Value	[3],[9]		$ 510,003	[10]	$ 499,597
Loan Count | loan	[9]		3,759	[10]	3,428
Weighted Average Yield	[9]		7.10%	[10]	5.90%
Weighted Average Life (Years)	[4],[9]		2 years 10 months 8 days	[10]	2 years 10 months 16 days
Floating Rate Loans as a % of Face Amount	[9]		20.60%	[10]	14.50%
Loan to Value Ratio (LTV)	[5],[9]		105.00%	[10]	104.50%
Weighted Average Delinquency	[6],[9]		75.90%	[10]	81.10%
Weighted Average FICO	[8],[9]		575	[10]	580
Residential Mortgage Loans Held-for-Sale [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Outstanding Face Amount			$ 908,930		$ 859,714
Carrying Value	[3]		$ 696,665		$ 776,681
Loan Count | loan			5,785		5,266
Weighted Average Yield			6.50%		5.50%
Weighted Average Life (Years)	[4]		3 years 6 months 1 day		3 years 6 months 2 days
Floating Rate Loans as a % of Face Amount			20.80%		11.40%
Loan to Value Ratio (LTV)	[5]		105.40%		89.60%
Weighted Average Delinquency	[6]		62.00%		55.60%
Weighted Average FICO	[8]		585		619
Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) Insured Loans [Member] | Performing Loans [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance			$ 45,200
Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) Insured Loans [Member] | Non-Performing Loans [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance			$ 87,500

[1] FICO scores are not used in determining how much a borrower can access via a reverse mortgage loan.

[2] Represents a 70% participation interest that New Residential holds in a portfolio of reverse mortgage loans. The average loan balance outstanding based on total UPB was $0.5 million and $0.4 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Approximately 60.9% and 71.0% of these loans have reached a termination event at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. As a result of the termination event, each such loan has matured and the borrower can no longer make draws on these loans.

[3] Includes residential mortgage loans with a United States federal income tax basis of $905.7 million and $1,204.2 million as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

[4] The weighted average life is based on the expected timing of the receipt of cash flows.

[5] LTV refers to the ratio comparing the loan’s unpaid principal balance to the value of the collateral property.

[6] Represents the percentage of the total principal balance that is 60+ days delinquent

[7] Performing loans are generally placed on nonaccrual status when principal or interest is 120 days or more past due.

[8] The weighted average FICO score is based on the weighted average of information updated and provided by the loan servicer on a monthly basis.

[9] Includes loans with evidence of credit deterioration since origination where it is probable that New Residential will not collect all contractually required principal and interest payments. As of December 31, 2016, New Residential has placed all Non-Performing Loans, held-for-sale on nonaccrual status, except as described in (J) below.

[10] Includes $45.2 million and $87.5 million UPB of Ginnie Mae EBO performing and non-performing loans, respectively, on accrual status as contractual cash flows are guaranteed by the FHA.