Other Assets and Liabilities - Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Dividends payable		$ 37,800	$ 0	$ 0
Lease liability		18,072	13,443
Contingent consideration		14,819	28,484
Payable to minority partner		14,804	13,189
Guarantee obligations		13,395	14,009
Accrued compensation		9,582	33,888
Residential bridge loan holdbacks		9,066	10,682
Deferred tax liabilities		5,152	5,152
Residential loan and MSR repurchase reserve		4,460	4,268
Other		36,449	23,123
Total Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities	[1]	$ 163,599	$ 146,238

[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 March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, assets of consolidated VIEs totaled $7,470,706 and $11,931,869, respectively. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, liabilities of consolidated VIEs totaled $6,759,260 and $10,717,072, respectively. See Note 4 for further discussion.