Short-Term Debt - Remaining Maturities of Short Term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt	[1]	$ 2,341,648	$ 2,329,145
Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		260,035
31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		225,112
Over 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		1,856,501
Facilities
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		2,082,717	2,176,591
Facilities | Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		260,035
Facilities | 31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		225,112
Facilities | Over 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		1,597,570
Facilities | Held-for-sale residential loans
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		841,186	185,894
Facilities | Held-for-sale residential loans | Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		0
Facilities | Held-for-sale residential loans | 31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		0
Facilities | Held-for-sale residential loans | Over 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		841,186
Facilities | Business purpose residential loans
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		756,384
Facilities | Business purpose residential loans | Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		0
Facilities | Business purpose residential loans | 31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		0
Facilities | Business purpose residential loans | Over 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		756,384
Facilities | Real estate securities
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		485,147
Facilities | Real estate securities | Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		260,035
Facilities | Real estate securities | 31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		225,112
Facilities | Real estate securities | Over 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		0
Servicer advance financing
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		258,931	$ 152,554
Servicer advance financing | Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		0
Servicer advance financing | 31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		0
Servicer advance financing | Over 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		$ 258,931

[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.