Commercial Loans - Summary of Classifications and Carrying Value of Commercial Loans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Commercial Loans Held For Sale
Commercial Loans [Line Items]
Carrying Value	[1]	$ 2,700	$ 39,141
Commercial Loans At Lower Of Cost Or Market
Commercial Loans [Line Items]
Loans, at lower of cost or fair value		3,000
Carrying Value		3,000
Commercial Loans Held-for-Investment, at Amortized Cost
Commercial Loans [Line Items]
Carrying Value		0	295,849
Commercial loans
Commercial Loans [Line Items]
Carrying Value		2,700	402,647
Commercial loans | Commercial Loans Held For Sale
Commercial Loans [Line Items]
Loans, at lower of cost or fair value			39,141
Commercial loans | Commercial Loans At Lower Of Cost Or Market
Commercial Loans [Line Items]
Loans, at lower of cost or fair value		2,700	0
Commercial loans | Commercial Loans Held-for-Investment, at Fair Value
Commercial Loans [Line Items]
Loans, held-for-investment		0	67,657
Commercial loans | Commercial Loans Held-for-Investment, at Amortized Cost
Commercial Loans [Line Items]
Loans, held-for-investment		$ 0	$ 295,849

[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.