Short-Term Debt - Remaining Maturities of Short Term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Jun. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt	[1]	$ 662,807	$ 2,329,145
Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		150,774
31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		140,682
Over 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		371,351
Facilities
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		418,370	2,176,591
Facilities | Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		150,774
Facilities | 31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		140,682
Facilities | Over 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		126,914
Facilities | Held-for-sale residential loans
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		13,581	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		13,581
Facilities | Business purpose residential loans
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		92,901
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		92,901
Facilities | Real estate securities
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		311,888
Facilities | Real estate securities | Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		150,774
Facilities | Real estate securities | 31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		140,682
Facilities | Real estate securities | Over 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		20,432
Servicer advance financing
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		244,437	$ 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		$ 244,437

[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 June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, assets of consolidated VIEs totaled $7,984,618 and $11,931,869, respectively. At June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, liabilities of consolidated VIEs totaled $7,140,221 and $10,717,072, respectively. See Note 4 for further discussion.