Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
Net income	$ 239,721	$ 131,086	$ 714,282	$ 340,651
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	14,291	17,060	32,650	24,397
Change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights, equity method investees	(2,054)	(6,261)	(6,056)	(8,608)
Change in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivable	(70,232)	0	(75,828)	0
Change in fair value of servicer advance investments	(10,941)	(21,606)	(70,469)	(4,328)
(Gain) / loss on remeasurement of consumer loans investment			0	(71,250)
(Gain) / loss on settlement of investments (net)			(1,250)	37,682
Earnings from investments in consumer loans, equity method investees			(12,649)	0
Unrealized (gain) / loss on derivative instruments	(3,560)	(21,048)	124	15,112
Unrealized (gain) / loss on other ABS	(189)	(724)	(340)	226
(Gain) / loss on transfer of loans to REO			(16,791)	(14,660)
(Gain) / loss on transfer of loans to other assets	(66)	(2,743)	(359)	(3,021)
(Gain) / loss on Excess MSR recapture agreements	(606)	(768)	(1,948)	(2,188)
(Gain) / loss on Ocwen common stock	(6,987)	0	(6,987)	0
Accretion and other amortization			(811,922)	(514,522)
Other-than-temporary impairment	1,509	1,765	8,736	7,838
Valuation and loss provision on loans and real estate owned	26,700	18,275	65,381	41,845
Non-cash portions of servicing revenue, net			81,986	0
Non-cash directors’ compensation			699	300
Deferred tax provision			114,016	12,998
Changes in:
Servicer advances receivable			(7,774)	0
Other assets			(35,799)	191,939
Due to affiliates			32,276	(5,175)
Accrued expenses and other liabilities			48,442	12,136
Other operating cash flows:
Interest received from excess mortgage servicing rights			53,067	119,386
Interest received from servicer advance investments			136,431	132,758
Interest received from Non-Agency RMBS			170,931	73,108
Interest received from residential mortgage loans, held-for-investment			5,906	2,815
Interest received from PCD consumer loans, held-for-investment			40,762	34,265
Purchases of residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale			(4,146,740)	(788,824)
Proceeds from sales of purchased residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale			2,986,992	802,110
Principal repayments from purchased residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale			69,069	52,805
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities			(617,817)	507,820
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
SpringCastle Transaction, net of cash acquired			0	(49,943)
Restricted cash acquired from SpringCastle Transaction			0	74,603
Purchase of servicer advance investments			(9,328,137)	(11,588,537)
Purchase of Agency RMBS			(6,352,488)	(4,763,374)
Purchase of Non-Agency RMBS			(2,070,898)	(2,154,890)
Purchase of residential mortgage loans			(585,983)	(319)
Purchase of derivatives			0	(4,457)
Purchase of real estate owned and other assets			(25,667)	(10,936)
Purchase of investment in consumer loans, equity method investees			(344,902)	(92,069)
Draws on revolving consumer loans			(41,930)	(33,137)
Payments for settlement of derivatives			(146,898)	(73,570)
Return of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights			142,626	142,718
Principal repayments from servicer advance investments			10,898,739	13,101,409
Principal repayments from Agency RMBS			76,744	67,738
Principal repayments from Non-Agency RMBS			615,657	364,310
Principal repayments from residential mortgage loans			59,673	31,092
Principal repayments from consumer loans			312,132	199,022
Proceeds from sale of Agency RMBS			6,205,573	4,774,116
Proceeds from sale of Non-Agency RMBS			166,460	95,683
Proceeds from settlement of derivatives			81,505	9,642
Proceeds from sale of real estate owned			63,476	51,941
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities			(1,569,623)	150,920
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
Repayments of repurchase agreements			(34,057,218)	(21,179,260)
Margin deposits under repurchase agreements and derivatives			(820,678)	(274,645)
Repayments of notes and bonds payable			(7,323,512)	(6,786,408)
Payment of deferred financing fees			(5,702)	(19,922)
Common stock dividends paid			(416,552)	(318,060)
Borrowings under repurchase agreements			36,713,743	22,065,713
Return of margin deposits under repurchase agreements and derivatives			815,903	276,634
Borrowings under notes and bonds payable			6,561,390	5,568,875
Issuance of common stock			835,465	279,600
Costs related to issuance of common stock			(936)	(825)
Noncontrolling interest in equity of consolidated subsidiaries - contributions			0	0
Noncontrolling interest in equity of consolidated subsidiaries - distributions			(70,493)	(73,279)
Purchase of noncontrolling interests in the Buyer			(65,860)	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities			2,165,550	(461,577)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash			(21,890)	197,163
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash, Beginning of Period			453,697	344,638	$ 344,638
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash, End of Period	431,807	541,801	431,807	541,801	453,697
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information
Cash paid during the period for interest			320,804	265,114
Cash paid during the period for income taxes			4,956	943
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Dividends declared but not paid	$ 153,681	$ 115,356	153,681	115,356	$ 115,356
Transfer from residential mortgage loans to real estate owned and other assets			105,750	218,467
Real estate securities retained from loan securitizations			310,579	122,585
Remeasurement of Consumer Loan Companies noncontrolling interest			0	110,438
Transfer of loans from held-for-investment to held-for sale			23,080	316,199
Ocwen transaction - excess mortgage servicing rights			71,982	0
Ocwen transaction - servicer advance investments			481,220	0
Excess MSRs
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Acquisition of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights			0	(2,022)
Purchase of MSRs, MSR Financing Receivables and servicer advances receivable			0	(2,022)
Mortgage Servicing Rights and Servicer Advances
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Acquisition of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights			(1,586,063)	0
Purchase of MSRs, MSR Financing Receivables and servicer advances receivable			(1,586,063)	0
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
MSR purchase price holdback			79,045	0
Agency RMBS
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Purchase of Agency and Non-Agency RMBS, settled after quarter end			1,076,086	1,296,296
Sale of investments, primarily Agency RMBS, settled after quarter end			1,785,708	1,530,726
Excess MSRs Investees
Other operating cash flows:
Distributions of earnings from equity method investees			11,054	18,025
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Return of investments, equity method investees			14,157	11,900
Consumer Loans
Other operating cash flows:
Distributions of earnings from equity method investees			4,291	0
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Return of investments, equity method investees			276,601	0
Consumer Loan Companies
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Non-cash distributions from Consumer Loan Companies			0	25
LoanCo
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Non-cash distributions from Consumer Loan Companies			$ 30,337	$ 0