Short-Term Debt - Remaining Maturities of Short Term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt	[1]	$ 522,609	$ 2,329,145
Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		44,373
31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		52,121
Over 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		426,115
Line of Credit
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		314,234	2,176,591
Line of Credit | Held-for-sale residential loans
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		137,269	185,894
Line of Credit | Business Purpose Loans
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		99,190
Line of Credit | Real estate securities
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		77,775
Line of Credit | Within 30 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		44,373
Line of Credit | Within 30 days | Held-for-sale residential loans
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		3,918
Line of Credit | Within 30 days | Business Purpose Loans
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		0
Line of Credit | Within 30 days | Real estate securities
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		40,455
Line of Credit | 31 to 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		52,121
Line of Credit | 31 to 90 days | Held-for-sale residential loans
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		14,801
Line of Credit | 31 to 90 days | Business Purpose Loans
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		0
Line of Credit | 31 to 90 days | Real estate securities
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		37,320
Line of Credit | Over 90 days
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		217,740
Line of Credit | Over 90 days | Held-for-sale residential loans
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		118,550
Line of Credit | Over 90 days | Business Purpose Loans
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		99,190
Line of Credit | Over 90 days | Real estate securities
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		0
Servicer advance financing
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt		208,375	$ 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		$ 208,375

[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, 2020 and December 31, 2019, assets of consolidated VIEs totaled $8,141,069 and $11,931,869, respectively. At December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, liabilities of consolidated VIEs totaled $7,148,414 and $10,717,072, respectively. See Note 4 for further discussion.