CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
Net income	$ 1,004,531	$ 1,014,652	$ 582,716
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	58,656	(4,322)	7,297
Change in fair value of investments in excess mortgage servicer rights, equity method investees	(8,357)	(12,617)	(16,526)
Change in fair value of investments in mortgage servicing rights financing receivables	(31,550)	(66,394)	0
Change in fair value of servicer advance investments	89,332	(84,418)	7,768
Change in fair value of residential mortgage loans, at fair value, and notes and bonds payable, at fair value	(72,624)	0	0
(Gain) / loss on remeasurement of consumer loans investment	0	0	(71,250)
(Gain) / loss on settlement of investments (net)	(103,842)	(10,310)	48,800
(Gain) / loss on sale of originated mortgage loans (net)	(89,017)	0	0
Earnings from investments consumer loans, equity method investees	(10,803)	(25,617)	0
Unrealized (gain) / loss on derivative instruments	113,558	2,190	(5,774)
Changes in fair value of contingent consideration	1,581	0	0
Unrealized (gain) / loss on other ABS	(10,283)	(2,883)	2,322
(Gain) / loss on transfer of loans to REO	(19,519)	(22,938)	(18,356)
(Gain) / loss on transfer of loans to other assets	1,977	(488)	(2,938)
(Gain) / loss on Excess MSR recapture agreements	(979)	(2,384)	(2,802)
(Gain) / loss on Ocwen common stock	10,860	(5,346)	0
Accretion and other amortization	(701,967)	(1,031,384)	(747,932)
Other-than-temporary impairment	30,017	10,334	10,264
Valuation and loss provision (reversal) on loans and real estate owned	60,624	75,758	77,716
Non-cash portions of servicing revenue, net	191,245	67,672	(88,325)
Non-cash directors’ compensation	1,020	699	300
Deferred tax provision	(80,054)	168,518	34,846
Changes in:
Servicer advances receivable	381,400	(30,688)	(2,503)
Other assets	(193,681)	(32,174)	229,916
Due to affiliates	12,510	41,613	23,563
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	186,311	26,081	3,223
Other operating cash flows:
Interest received from excess mortgage servicing rights	45,947	79,612	152,589
Interest received from servicer advance investments	33,821	168,595	185,204
Interest received from Non-Agency RMBS	219,704	211,599	100,883
Interest received from residential mortgage loans, held-for-investment	8,962	8,021	2,815
Interest received from PCD consumer loans, held-for-investment	36,660	52,372	49,582
Distributions of earnings, equity method investees	11,059	13,668	22,046
Purchases of residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	(5,767,172)	(5,135,700)	(1,196,018)
Origination of residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	(3,385,868)	0	0
Proceeds from sales of purchased and originated residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	6,546,613	3,514,108	1,109,876
Principal repayments from purchased residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	194,038	106,213	61,494
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(1,229,114)	(899,718)	560,796
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Acquisition of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	(1,186,000)
Acquisition of Shellpoint, net of cash acquired	(123,185)	0	0
SpringCastle Transaction (Note 9), net of cash acquired	0	0	(55,523)
Restricted cash acquired from SpringCastle Transaction	0	0	74,604
Purchase of servicer advance investments	(2,306,043)	(12,168,519)	(15,266,816)
Purchase of Non-Agency RMBS	(2,969,308)	(2,570,753)	(2,577,625)
Purchase of derivatives	0	(2,350)	(8,292)
Purchase of real estate owned and other assets	(33,377)	(38,127)	(14,097)
Purchase of consumer loans	0	0	(176,107)
Purchase of investment in consumer loans, equity method investees	(308,050)	(470,344)	0
Purchase of commercial real estate, equity method investees	(75,000)	0	0
Draws on revolving consumer loans	(63,971)	(56,321)	(49,289)
Payments for settlement of derivatives	(172,152)	(164,025)	(84,587)
Return of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	53,055	172,395	175,243
Return of investments in equity method investments	300,056	393,722	0
Principal repayments from servicer advance investments	2,421,334	13,820,019	17,158,395
Principal repayments from Agency RMBS	111,202	107,666	95,030
Principal repayments from Non-Agency RMBS	939,690	815,451	726,176
Principal repayments from residential mortgage loans	147,403	94,807	38,700
Proceeds from sale of residential mortgage loans	25,511	13,313	11,176
Principal repayments from consumer loans	311,222	401,403	301,876
Proceeds from sale of excess mortgage servicing rights	5,776	0	0
Proceeds from sale of Agency RMBS	7,528,490	8,880,766	6,594,868
Proceeds from sale of Non-Agency RMBS	86,443	182,384	261,489
Proceeds from settlement of derivatives	242,422	126,319	55,851
Proceeds from sale of real estate owned	140,301	86,241	71,570
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(5,171,090)	(1,777,579)	(182,583)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
Repayments of repurchase agreements	(93,214,286)	(54,289,124)	(29,866,052)
Margin deposits under repurchase agreements and derivatives	(1,934,868)	(1,056,408)	(487,072)
Repayments of notes and bonds payable	(9,892,659)	(8,971,523)	(10,843,732)
Payment of deferred financing fees	(12,498)	(6,610)	(37,908)
Common stock dividends paid	(661,859)	(570,232)	(433,414)
Borrowings under repurchase agreements	99,662,678	57,762,563	31,015,797
Return of margin deposits under repurchase agreements and derivatives	1,733,387	1,058,791	486,050
Borrowings under notes and bonds payable	9,770,909	8,057,720	9,719,242
Issuance of common stock	983,149	835,465	279,600
Costs related to issuance of common stock	(1,087)	(936)	(825)
Noncontrolling interest in equity of consolidated subsidiaries - contributions	0	0	0
Noncontrolling interest in equity of consolidated subsidiaries - distributions	(64,559)	(84,196)	(97,560)
Purchase of noncontrolling interests in the Buyer	925	(65,860)	(3,280)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	6,369,232	2,669,650	(269,154)
Net (Decrease) Increase in Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash	(30,972)	(7,647)	109,059
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash, Beginning of Period	446,050	453,697	344,638
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash, End of Period	415,078	446,050	453,697
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information
Cash paid during the period for interest	564,722	442,287	350,028
Cash paid during the period for income taxes	5,012	5,021	1,109
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Dividends declared but not paid	184,552	153,681	115,356
Transfer from residential mortgage loans to real estate owned and other assets	109,527	141,968	249,497
Transfer from residential mortgage loans, held-for-investment to residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	23,080	23,080	316,199
Non-cash distributions to noncontrolling interest	0	0	69,466
Real estate securities retained from loan securitizations	900,491	403,270	165,782
Residential mortgage loans subject to repurchase	121,602	0	0
Remeasurement of Consumer Loan Companies noncontrolling interest	0	0	110,438
Ocwen transaction - excess mortgage servicing rights	638,567	71,982	0
Ocwen transaction - servicer advance investments	3,175,891	481,220	0
Ocwen transaction - mortgage servicing rights financing receivables, at fair value	1,017,993	64,450	0
Excess MSRs
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Acquisition of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	0	0	(2,146)
Proceeds from sale of excess mortgage servicing rights	19,064	13,505	0
Mortgage Servicing Rights and Servicer Advances
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Acquisition of investments in excess mortgage servicing rights	(1,194,467)	(1,661,608)	(526,653)
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Purchase price holdback	(697)	40,854	90,058
Agency Residential Mortgage Backed Securities
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Purchase of Agency RMBS	(10,200,299)	(9,165,868)	(6,812,258)
Mortgage-backed Securities, Issued by Private Enterprises
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Purchase of residential mortgage loans	(85,778)	(609,627)	(191,081)
Loans and Finance Receivables
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Proceeds from sale of excess mortgage servicing rights	7,472	0	0
Mortgage-backed Securities, Issued by US Government Sponsored Enterprises
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Purchase of Agency and Non-Agency RMBS, settled after year end	2,048,348	1,169,896	1,381,968
Sale of investments, primarily Agency RMBS, settled after year end	3,925,198	1,030,850	1,687,788
Consumer Loans
Other operating cash flows:
Distributions of earnings, equity method investees	6,176	6,240	0
Excess MSRs Investees
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Return of investments in equity method investments	21,099	21,972	16,913
Consumer Loan Companies
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Non-cash distributions from Consumer Loan Companies	0	0	25
Non-cash distributions from LoanCo	0	0	25
LoanCo
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Non-cash distributions from Consumer Loan Companies	25,739	44,587	0
Non-cash distributions from LoanCo	25,739	44,587	0
Shellpoint Acquisition
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Purchase price holdback	8,173	0	0
Shellpoint Acquisition contingent consideration	$ 39,300	$ 0	$ 0