Asset-Backed Securities Issued - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended						3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
		May 31, 2040	Aug. 31, 2027	Apr. 30, 2027	Jan. 31, 2027	Apr. 30, 2025 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2025 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2025 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) entity	Dec. 31, 2053	Dec. 31, 2025 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2024 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total Fair Value											$ 287,557		$ 211,474
Debt instrument, collateral amount											4,878,915		3,701,592
Debt instrument, face amount											4,822,478		3,482,175
Restricted cash									$ 76,000		193,446	[1]	67,762	[1]
Other assets	[1]										413,522		415,717
Number of VIE's loans transferred from | entity									2
Sequoia Re-securitization Trust
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total Fair Value											165,000		79,000
Freddie Mac SLST Securitization Entities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Fair value of securities owned											254,000		242,000
Total ABS Issued | CAFL 2025-RTL2 Issuer, LP
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount											285,000
Bridge loan											223,000
Restricted cash											87,000
Other assets											3,000
Securitized asset backed securities, borrowing capacity											$ 300,000
Re-investment transaction period											24 months
Total ABS Issued | CAFL 2025-RTL1 Issuer, LP
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount											$ 284,000
Bridge loan											283,000
Restricted cash											20,000
Other assets											8,000
Securitized asset backed securities, borrowing capacity											$ 300,000
Re-investment transaction period											24 months
VIEs
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
VIE, ownership interest rate (as a percent)											80.00%
VIEs | Collateralized Financing Entities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Other assets											$ 58,785		68,176
VIEs | Redemption, Period Three | Point HEI
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
ABS issued, at amortized cost									$ 139,000
VIEs | CoreVest | Redemption, Period Four
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
ABS issued, at amortized cost									$ 184,000
VIE, ownership interest rate (as a percent)									100.00%
VIEs | Sequoia Re-securitization Trust
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)								8.50%
Debt instrument repaid								$ 190,000
VIEs | Sequoia securities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
ABS issued, at amortized cost							$ 100,000
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)							8.50%
VIEs | Sequoia securities | Forecast
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Increase in interest rate (as a percent)					11.50%
VIEs | Sequoia securities | Q3 2025 Subordinate Securities Transfer
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
ABS issued, at amortized cost								$ 250,000
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)								6.40%
VIE, ownership interest rate (as a percent)								100.00%
Debt instrument, collateral amount											154,000
VIEs | Sequoia securities | Q3 2025 Subordinate Securities Transfer | Forecast
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Increase in interest rate (as a percent)			3.00%
VIEs | Sequoia securities | Q2 2025 Subordinate Securities Transfer
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
ABS issued, at amortized cost						$ 109,000
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)						8.00%
VIE, ownership interest rate (as a percent)							100.00%
VIEs | Sequoia securities | Q2 2025 Subordinate Securities Transfer | Forecast
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Increase in interest rate (as a percent)				11.00%
VIEs | Other third-party securities | Q3 2025 Subordinate Securities Transfer | Sequoia Re-securitization Trust
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total Fair Value											144,000
VIEs | Other third-party securities | Q2 2025 Subordinate Securities Transfer | Sequoia Re-securitization Trust
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total Fair Value											1,000
VIEs | Sequoia Securitization Trusts | Sequoia securities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, collateral amount											83,000
VIEs | Sequoia Securitization Trusts | Q2 2025 Subordinate Securities Transfer
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, collateral amount											144,000
VIEs | Sequoia Securities Owned From Trust | Sequoia Re-securitization Trust
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total Fair Value											$ 20,000
VIEs | Total ABS Issued
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Contractual maturities of ABS (in years)											5 years
VIEs | Total ABS Issued | Collateralized Financing Entities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance											$ 17,963,740		14,047,261
VIEs | Total ABS Issued | CAFL 2025-RTL2 Issuer, LP
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)											5.50%
Debt instrument, face amount											$ 285,000
VIEs | Total ABS Issued | CAFL 2025-RTL1 Issuer, LP
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)											6.20%
Debt instrument, face amount											$ 286,000
VIEs | Total ABS Issued | Forecast
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Increase in interest rate (as a percent)		1.00%
VIEs | Total ABS Issued | Forecast | Redemption, Period Three
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Increase in interest rate (as a percent)										3.00%
VIEs | Freddie Mac SLST | Collateralized Financing Entities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance													$ 148,180
Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary | Freddie Mac SLST | Collateralized Financing Entities
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance											$ 125,000

[1] Our consolidated balance sheets include assets of 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, 2025 and 2024, assets of consolidated VIEs totaled $18,927,094 and $14,654,942, respectively. At December 31, 2025 and 2024, liabilities of consolidated VIEs totaled $17,850,175 and $13,620,239, respectively. See Note 15 for further discussion.