Short-Term Debt - Remaining Maturities of Short Term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt	[1]	$ 482,761	$ 2,329,145
Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		38,434
31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		266,835
Over 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		177,492
Facilities
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		253,763	2,176,591
Facilities | Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		38,434
Facilities | 31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		37,837
Facilities | Over 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		177,492
Facilities | Held-for-sale residential loans
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		81,898	185,894
Facilities | Held-for-sale residential loans | Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		1,217
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		80,681
Facilities | Business purpose residential loans
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		96,811
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		96,811
Facilities | Real estate securities
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		75,054
Facilities | Real estate securities | Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		37,217
Facilities | Real estate securities | 31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		37,837
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		228,998	$ 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		228,998
Servicer advance financing | 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 September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, assets of consolidated VIEs totaled $8,197,095 and $11,931,869, respectively. At September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, liabilities of consolidated VIEs totaled $7,238,047 and $10,717,072, respectively. See Note 4 for further discussion.