Short-Term Debt - Remaining Maturities of Short Term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt	[1]	$ 791,539	$ 1,855,003
Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		345,097
31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		137,088
Over 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		309,354
Held-for sale residential loans
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		485,544
Held-for sale residential loans | Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		109,152
Held-for sale residential loans | 31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		67,038
Held-for sale residential loans | Over 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		309,354
Real estate securities
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		305,995
Real estate securities | Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		235,945
Real estate securities | 31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		70,050
Real estate securities | Over 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		$ 0

[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 Redwood Trust, Inc. or its affiliates. At December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, assets of consolidated VIEs totaled $798,317 and $1,195,574, respectively. At December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, liabilities of consolidated VIEs totaled $773,980 and $1,050,861, respectively. See Note 4 for further discussion.