CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2023	Mar. 31, 2022	Jun. 30, 2023	Jun. 30, 2022	Sep. 30, 2023	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
Net income (loss)	$ 89,949	$ 689,931	$ 476,634	$ 723,262	$ 697,825	$ 877,452	$ 630,674	$ 983,285	$ 805,582
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Change in fair value of investments, net	247,075	146,125	307,633	396,161	560,017	(560,492)	893,665	(1,069,927)	(40,576)
Change in fair value of equity investments	2,098	(256)	27,630	9,111	27,509	8,535	28,407	13,265	(5,986)
Change in fair value of secured notes and bonds payable	2,500	(7,194)	(2,049)	(35,151)	(5,890)	(50,279)	17,155	(45,792)	(12,991)
(Gain) loss on settlement of investments, net	(167,609)	(61,184)	(283,306)	(156,120)	(402,449)	843,837	(820,238)	1,354,263	205,220
(Gain) loss on sale of originated residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale, net	(109,268)	(461,908)	(287,852)	(773,478)	(437,082)	(981,364)	(533,477)	(1,092,749)	(1,787,851)
(Gain) loss on transfer of loans to real estate owned ("REO")	(3,276)	(2,944)	(7,472)	(4,039)	(10,120)	(6,263)	(10,224)	(7,726)	(3,752)
Accretion and other amortization	(12,766)	(13,351)	(29,892)	(30,287)	(74,730)	(37,634)	(106,421)	(80,957)	(46,241)
Provision (reversal) for credit losses on securities, loans and REO	(2,803)	3,740	3,009	7,528	6,455	14,272	(478)	14,962	(47,744)
Non-cash portions of servicing revenue, net	149,730	(645,018)	120,272	(981,581)	158,344	(890,281)	618,005	(639,945)	577,763
Deferred tax provision	(16,822)	201,354	39,626	275,458	86,324	297,517	90,002	271,167	151,200
Mortgage loans originated and purchased for sale, net of fees	(7,531,856)	(29,446,744)	(18,109,588)	(50,293,942)	(30,003,362)	(65,397,832)	(39,817,843)	(76,344,856)	(130,205,665)
Sales proceeds and loan repayment proceeds for residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	8,137,021	32,408,766	18,174,194	54,533,386	30,088,541	70,570,337	39,340,813	81,547,076	132,114,445
Loan originations and draws of consolidated entities				(27,061)		(49,024)	0	(75,406)	0
Loan repayment proceeds of consolidated entities	57,854	154,840	130,704	294,364	196,166	372,950	278,920	431,065	753,101
Mortgage loans receivable repayment proceeds of consolidated CFEs	90,496		166,550	79,480	255,798	124,918	353,994	170,834	0
Interest received from servicer advance investments, loans and other	13,705	41,721	27,874	31,394	42,932	46,797	54,485	62,375	153,539
Changes in:
Servicer advances receivable, net	230,596	202,938	377,567	294,452	339,610	332,902	15,022	(36,695)	226,173
Other assets	50,472	(268,772)	16,191	72,498	15,312	(54,485)	(428,763)	405,469	939,953
Due to affiliates		(7,887)		(17,819)		(17,819)	0	(17,819)	8,369
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	21,346	285,517	83,799	132,325	199,341	317,256	89,897	(89,003)	(349,733)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	1,248,442	3,219,674	1,231,524	4,529,941	1,740,541	5,761,300	693,595	5,752,886	3,434,806
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired							(306,770)	0	(1,173,171)
Maturity of U.S. Treasury Bills							1,030,000	0	0
Purchase of U.S. Treasury Bills			(973,795)		(973,795)		(998,148)	0	0
Purchase of servicer advance investments	(232,446)	(257,807)	(445,470)	(500,000)	(644,594)	(744,671)	(852,015)	(988,847)	(1,286,526)
Purchase of RMBS	(2,883,278)	(1,006,483)	(2,898,237)	(1,052,724)	(4,094,458)	(9,597,580)	(4,094,934)	(15,629,483)	(6,099,550)
U.S. Treasury Note short sales							1,765,360	0	0
Reverse repurchase agreements entered							(1,769,601)	0	0
Purchase of residential mortgage loans	(1,269)	(7,182)	(1,269)	(7,182)	(1,269)	(7,182)	0	(7,182)	0
Purchase of SFR properties, MSRs and other assets	(4,607)	(239,347)	(11,975)	(355,002)	(72,503)	(396,981)	(106,351)	(416,610)	(1,390,317)
Purchase of mortgage loans receivable					(146,631)		(146,631)	0	0
Draws on revolving consumer loans	(6,831)	(7,163)	(13,493)	(14,350)	(20,675)	(22,070)	(27,510)	(29,615)	(29,002)
Net settlement of derivatives and hedges	225,560	65,436	291,174	279,306	390,415	282,827	867,637	311,073	(182,971)
Return of investments in Excess MSRs	7,821	2,680	16,489	7,873	23,066	12,264	31,940	17,701	54,037
Principal repayments from servicer advance investments	240,331	290,128	464,921	541,868	675,261	791,653	880,861	1,033,326	1,382,344
Principal repayments from RMBS	143,419	336,380	305,887	649,294	477,480	863,193	639,736	1,026,186	2,257,698
Principal repayments from residential mortgage loans	8,272	24,121	21,364	49,806	35,064	69,020	47,735	85,836	119,841
Principal repayments from consumer loans	24,784	39,935	86,164	79,298	267,820	112,228	439,540	140,574	214,619
Proceeds from sale of MSRs and MSR financing receivables							705,300	10,698	62,971
Proceeds from sale of RMBS	1,869,053		1,869,053	738,887	1,868,702	7,716,127	2,087,419	14,565,043	8,189,585
Proceeds from sale of residential mortgage loans							0	0	9,922
Proceeds from sale of REO	5,678	3,832	13,175	7,210	19,806	9,652	23,153	14,201	54,232
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(602,156)	(754,968)	(851,978)	427,002	(1,491,011)	(907,295)	216,721	132,901	2,183,712
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
Repayments of secured financing agreements	(11,327,261)	(9,638,525)	(24,321,697)	(23,318,214)	(31,733,802)	(39,920,856)	(48,921,875)	(55,998,234)	(69,206,600)
Repayments of warehouse credit facilities	(8,473,149)	(33,378,329)	(18,980,639)	(56,240,720)	(31,076,021)	(73,028,747)	(41,096,041)	(83,793,352)	(130,744,991)
Net settlement of margin deposits under repurchase agreements and derivatives	(387,780)	137,418	(411,796)	812,477	(676,511)	1,007,970	(862,662)	1,460,458	249,367
Repayments of secured notes and bonds payable	(1,677,534)	(1,047,972)	(3,538,076)	(2,220,042)	(5,024,509)	(3,174,439)	(7,636,954)	(4,696,136)	(8,078,073)
Deferred financing fees	(2,103)	(4,472)	(11,740)	(1,398)	(7,084)	(8,992)	(7,364)	(11,062)	(8,385)
Dividends paid on common and preferred stock	(140,968)	(139,185)	(284,262)	(278,293)	(427,583)	(417,445)	(570,878)	(558,301)	(438,544)
Borrowings under secured financing agreements	12,240,027	10,081,997	26,093,901	21,936,667	34,530,433	39,713,905	50,079,186	54,385,892	64,749,425
Borrowings under warehouse credit facilities	8,062,420	29,622,712	18,706,720	50,995,092	30,625,465	66,296,292	41,065,479	76,069,417	129,899,057
Borrowings under secured notes and bonds payable	1,303,796	1,351,203	2,425,593	2,605,887	3,561,756	3,777,252	6,669,483	5,868,761	7,964,077
Proceeds from issuance of debt obligations of consolidated CFEs		1,160,218	150,586	1,466,538	150,586	1,700,810	725,901	1,919,160	725,397
Repayments of debt obligations of consolidated CFEs	(51,983)	(150,961)	(127,404)	(297,527)	(190,881)	(374,170)	(269,563)	(430,042)	(1,145,324)
Issuance of common and preferred stock							0	0	962,910
Repurchase of common and preferred stock		(3,814)		(3,814)		(3,814)	0	(5,227)	0
Noncontrolling interest in equity of consolidated subsidiaries - distributions	(5,430)	(8,879)	(12,405)	(15,968)	(17,597)	(21,391)	(17,261)	(27,047)	(78,123)
Payment of contingent consideration		(12,276)					0	(2,355)	(12,276)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(459,965)	(2,030,865)	(311,219)	(4,559,315)	(285,748)	(4,453,625)	(842,549)	(5,818,068)	(5,162,083)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash	186,321	433,841	68,327	397,628	(36,218)	400,380	67,767	67,719	456,435
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash, Beginning of Period	1,629,328	1,561,609	1,629,328	1,561,609	1,629,328	1,561,609	1,629,328	1,561,609	1,105,174
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash, End of Period	1,815,649	1,995,450	1,697,655	1,959,237	1,593,110	1,961,989	1,697,095	1,629,328	1,561,609
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information
Cash paid during the period for interest	313,870	150,121	680,330	318,438	975,872	531,903	1,484,094	825,224	578,681
Cash paid during the period for income taxes	402	36	1,798	1,636	1,798	1,757	6,524	4,012	23,506
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Dividends declared but not paid on common and preferred stock	143,149	139,158	143,225	139,141	143,199	140,856	143,199	140,984	139,170
Transfer from residential mortgage loans to real estate owned and other assets							21,943	14,936	30,020
Real estate securities retained from loan securitizations		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	45,967
Residential mortgage loans subject to repurchase	1,189,907	$ 1,700,426	1,296,097	$ 1,758,509	1,443,546	1,897,142	1,782,998	1,219,890	1,787,314
Purchase of Agency RMBS, settled after quarter-end						$ 498,933	0	731,216	0
Cashless exercise of 2020 Warrants (par)	$ 93		93		93		93	69	0
Genesis Acquisition
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Seller financing in acquisition							0	0	1,256,279
Marcus Acquisition
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Seller financing in acquisition			$ 1,317,347		$ 1,317,347		1,317,347	0	0
CPX Acquisition
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Seller financing in acquisition							$ 323,452	$ 0	$ 0