Segment Information - Supplemental Information by Segment (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Residential loans		$ 3,286,480	$ 3,398,573
Commercial loans		551,331	566,927
Real estate securities	[1]	1,157,599	1,379,230
Mortgage servicing rights	[1]	168,462	139,293
Total assets	[1]	5,595,884	5,918,966
Operating Segments | Residential Mortgage Banking
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Residential loans		892,081	1,342,519
Commercial loans		0	0
Real estate securities		0	93,802
Mortgage servicing rights		0	0
Total assets		938,720	1,468,856
Operating Segments | Residential Investments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Residential loans		1,157,285	581,668
Commercial loans		0	0
Real estate securities		1,157,599	1,285,428
Mortgage servicing rights		168,462	139,293
Total assets		2,559,481	2,057,256
Operating Segments | Commercial Mortgage Banking and Investments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Residential loans		0	0
Commercial loans		551,331	566,927
Real estate securities		0	0
Mortgage servicing rights		0	0
Total assets		560,956	575,943
Corporate/Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Residential loans		1,237,114	1,474,386
Commercial loans		0	0
Real estate securities		0	0
Mortgage servicing rights		0	0
Total assets		$ 1,536,727	$ 1,816,911

[1] Our consolidated balance sheets include assets of consolidated variable interest entities (“VIEs”) that can only be used to settle obligations of these VIEs and liabilities of consolidated VIEs for which creditors do not have recourse to the primary beneficiary (Redwood Trust, Inc.). At June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, assets of consolidated VIEs totaled $1,622,636 and $1,900,208, respectively, and liabilities of consolidated VIEs totaled $1,263,249 and $1,546,490, respectively. See Note 4 for further discussion.