FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT - Financial Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis using Level 3 Inputs (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning
Purchases, sales and repayments
Balance, ending
Non-Agency
Gains (losses) included in net income
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net	$ (1,300)	$ 18,000
Excess MSRs Investees
Purchases, sales and repayments
New Residential’s ownership	50.00%	50.00%
Recurring Basis | Level 3
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning	$ 13,681,878	$ 11,503,879
Transfers
Transfers from Level 3	0	0
Transfers to Level 3	0	0
Shellpoint Acquisitions	341,560
Gains (losses) included in net income
Included in other-than-temporary impairment on securities	(24,940)	(10,334)
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	(58,656)	4,322
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights, equity method investees	8,357	12,617
Included in servicing revenue, net	(199,836)	(67,672)
Included in changes in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables		66,394
Included in change in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables	31,550
Included in change in fair value of servicer advance investments	(89,332)	84,418
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net	111,714
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net		27,377
Included in other income (loss), net	16,576	7,260
Gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	31,031	244,608
Interest income	471,676
Interest income		964,706
Purchases, sales and repayments
Purchases	7,358,718	16,833,061
Proceeds from sales	(118,780)	(195,830)
Proceeds from repayments	(3,781,138)	(15,304,176)
Originations	35,311
Ocwen Transaction	(2,796,466)	(488,752)
Balance, ending	15,019,223	13,681,878
Recurring Basis | Level 3 | Consumer loan bonds
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning	4,027,379	5,706,593
Transfers
Transfers from Level 3	0	0
Transfers to Level 3	0	0
Shellpoint Acquisitions	0
Gains (losses) included in net income
Included in other-than-temporary impairment on securities	0	0
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	0	0
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights, equity method investees	0	0
Included in servicing revenue, net	0	0
Included in changes in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables		0
Included in change in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables	0
Included in change in fair value of servicer advance investments	(89,332)	84,418
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net	72,585
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net		9,327
Included in other income (loss), net	0	0
Gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	0	0
Interest income	50,218
Interest income		528,356
Purchases, sales and repayments
Purchases	2,332,989	12,168,519
Proceeds from sales	0	0
Proceeds from repayments	(2,455,155)	(13,988,614)
Originations	0
Ocwen Transaction	(3,202,838)	(481,220)
Balance, ending	735,846	4,027,379
Recurring Basis | Level 3 | MSRs
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning	1,735,504	659,483
Transfers
Transfers from Level 3	0	0
Transfers to Level 3	0	0
Shellpoint Acquisitions	275,964
Gains (losses) included in net income
Included in other-than-temporary impairment on securities	0	0
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	0	0
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights, equity method investees	0	0
Included in servicing revenue, net	(199,836)	(67,672)
Included in changes in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables		0
Included in change in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables	0
Included in change in fair value of servicer advance investments	0	0
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net	0
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net		0
Included in other income (loss), net	0	0
Gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	0	0
Interest income	0
Interest income		0
Purchases, sales and repayments
Purchases	1,042,933	1,143,693
Proceeds from sales	(5,776)	0
Proceeds from repayments	0	0
Originations	35,311
Ocwen Transaction	0	0
Balance, ending	2,884,100	1,735,504
Recurring Basis | Level 3 | Mortgage Servicing Rights Financing Receivables
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning	598,728	0
Transfers
Transfers from Level 3	0	0
Transfers to Level 3	0	0
Shellpoint Acquisitions	(124,652)
Gains (losses) included in net income
Included in other-than-temporary impairment on securities	0	0
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	0	0
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights, equity method investees	0	0
Included in servicing revenue, net	0	0
Included in changes in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables		66,394
Included in change in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables	31,550
Included in change in fair value of servicer advance investments	0	0
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net	0
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net		0
Included in other income (loss), net	0	0
Gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	0	0
Interest income	0
Interest income		0
Purchases, sales and repayments
Purchases	128,357	467,884
Proceeds from sales	(7,472)	0
Proceeds from repayments	0	0
Originations	0
Ocwen Transaction	1,017,993	64,450
Balance, ending	1,644,504	598,728
Recurring Basis | Level 3 | Non-Agency
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning	5,974,789	3,543,560
Transfers
Transfers from Level 3	0	0
Transfers to Level 3	0	0
Shellpoint Acquisitions	0
Gains (losses) included in net income
Included in other-than-temporary impairment on securities	(24,940)	(10,334)
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	0	0
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights, equity method investees	0	0
Included in servicing revenue, net	0	0
Included in changes in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables		0
Included in change in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables	0
Included in change in fair value of servicer advance investments	0	0
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net	(1,288)
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net		18,050
Included in other income (loss), net	10,283	2,883
Gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	31,031	244,608
Interest income	377,018
Interest income		333,297
Purchases, sales and repayments
Purchases	3,854,439	3,052,965
Proceeds from sales	(86,448)	(182,325)
Proceeds from repayments	(1,163,921)	(1,027,915)
Originations	0
Ocwen Transaction	0	0
Balance, ending	8,970,963	5,974,789
Recurring Basis | Level 3 | Derivatives
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning	0	0
Transfers
Transfers from Level 3	0	0
Transfers to Level 3	0	0
Shellpoint Acquisitions	10,604
Gains (losses) included in net income
Included in other-than-temporary impairment on securities	0	0
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	0	0
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights, equity method investees	0	0
Included in servicing revenue, net	0	0
Included in changes in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables		0
Included in change in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables	0
Included in change in fair value of servicer advance investments	0	0
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net	0
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net		0
Included in other income (loss), net	24	0
Gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	0	0
Interest income	0
Interest income		0
Purchases, sales and repayments
Purchases	0	0
Proceeds from sales	0	0
Proceeds from repayments	0	0
Originations	0
Ocwen Transaction	0	0
Balance, ending	10,628	0
Recurring Basis | Level 3 | Residential Mortgage Loans
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning	0	0
Transfers
Transfers from Level 3	0	0
Transfers to Level 3	0	0
Shellpoint Acquisitions	179,644
Gains (losses) included in net income
Included in other-than-temporary impairment on securities	0	0
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	0	0
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights, equity method investees	0	0
Included in servicing revenue, net	0	0
Included in changes in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables		0
Included in change in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables	0
Included in change in fair value of servicer advance investments	0	0
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net	0
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net		0
Included in other income (loss), net	(175)	0
Gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	0	0
Interest income	0
Interest income		0
Purchases, sales and repayments
Purchases	0	0
Proceeds from sales	0	0
Proceeds from repayments	2,111	0
Originations	0
Ocwen Transaction	0	0
Balance, ending	177,358	0
Recurring Basis | Level 3 | MSRs Agency
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning	324,636	381,757
Transfers
Transfers from Level 3	0	0
Transfers to Level 3	0	0
Shellpoint Acquisitions	0
Gains (losses) included in net income
Included in other-than-temporary impairment on securities	0	0
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	(18,099)	(3,037)
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights, equity method investees	0	0
Included in servicing revenue, net	0	0
Included in changes in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables		0
Included in change in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables	0
Included in change in fair value of servicer advance investments	0	0
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net	0
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net		0
Included in other income (loss), net	6,137	2,150
Gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	0	0
Interest income	21,936
Interest income		28,351
Purchases, sales and repayments
Purchases	0	0
Proceeds from sales	(19,084)	(13,505)
Proceeds from repayments	(58,139)	(71,080)
Originations	0
Ocwen Transaction	0	0
Balance, ending	257,387	324,636
Recurring Basis | Level 3 | MSRs Agency | Excess MSRs Investees
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning	171,765	194,788
Transfers
Transfers from Level 3	0	0
Transfers to Level 3	0	0
Shellpoint Acquisitions	0
Gains (losses) included in net income
Included in other-than-temporary impairment on securities	0	0
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	0	0
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights, equity method investees	8,357	12,617
Included in servicing revenue, net	0	0
Included in changes in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables		0
Included in change in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables	0
Included in change in fair value of servicer advance investments	0	0
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net	0
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net		0
Included in other income (loss), net	0	0
Gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	0	0
Interest income	0
Interest income		0
Purchases, sales and repayments
Purchases	0	0
Proceeds from sales	0	0
Proceeds from repayments	(32,158)	(35,640)
Originations	0
Ocwen Transaction	0	0
Balance, ending	147,964	171,765
Recurring Basis | Level 3 | MSRs Non-Agency
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning	849,077	1,017,698
Transfers
Transfers from Level 3	0	0
Transfers to Level 3	0	0
Shellpoint Acquisitions	0
Gains (losses) included in net income
Included in other-than-temporary impairment on securities	0	0
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	(40,557)	7,359
Included in change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights, equity method investees	0	0
Included in servicing revenue, net	0	0
Included in changes in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables		0
Included in change in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables	0
Included in change in fair value of servicer advance investments	0	0
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net	40,417
Included in gain (loss) on settlement of investments, net		0
Included in other income (loss), net	307	2,227
Gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	0	0
Interest income	22,504
Interest income		74,702
Purchases, sales and repayments
Purchases	0	0
Proceeds from sales	0	0
Proceeds from repayments	(69,654)	(180,927)
Originations	0
Ocwen Transaction	(611,621)	(71,982)
Balance, ending	$ 190,473	$ 849,077