v2.4.1.9

Common Share Capitalization (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) | 0 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 41 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Sep. 08, 2014 | May 14, 2013 | Aug. 04, 2011 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Aug. 20, 2012 | Sep. 12, 2012
Common Stock Capitalization [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dividends (in usd per share) |  |  |  | $ 3.08 efc_DividendPerShare | $ 3.83 efc_DividendPerShare | $ 2.50 efc_DividendPerShare |  |  |
Payments of Dividends |  |  |  | $ (86,449,000)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividends | $ (92,067,000)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividends | $ (47,412,000)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividends |  |  |
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues | 8,000,000 us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesNewIssues | 5,000,000.0 us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesNewIssues |  | 8,000,000 us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesNewIssues | 5,000,000 us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesNewIssues | 4,025,000 us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesNewIssues |  |  |
Net proceeds from share issuance | 188,200,000 efc_Netproceedsfromshareissuance | 125,300,000 efc_Netproceedsfromshareissuance |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Overallotment Option Percentage By Underwriters |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 15.00%efc_OverallotmentOptionPercentageByUnderwriters
Aggregate cost of shares repurchase |  |  | 10,000,000 us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramAuthorizedAmount |  |  |  |  |  |
Shares repurchased |  |  |  | 0 us-gaap_StockRepurchasedAndRetiredDuringPeriodShares | 0 us-gaap_StockRepurchasedAndRetiredDuringPeriodShares | (156,639)us-gaap_StockRepurchasedAndRetiredDuringPeriodShares | (217,619)us-gaap_StockRepurchasedAndRetiredDuringPeriodShares |  |
Aggregate cost of shares repurchased |  |  |  | 0 us-gaap_StockRepurchasedAndRetiredDuringPeriodValue | 0 us-gaap_StockRepurchasedAndRetiredDuringPeriodValue | 3,430,000 us-gaap_StockRepurchasedAndRetiredDuringPeriodValue | 4,500,000 us-gaap_StockRepurchasedAndRetiredDuringPeriodValue |  |
Average price per share repurchased (in usd per share) |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 20.59 efc_StockRepurchasesAveragePricePerShare |  |
Common Shares Issued And Outstanding Upon Conversion of All Convertible Securities |  |  |  | 34,090,992 efc_CommonSharesIssuedAndOutstandingUponConversionOfAllConvertibleSecurities | 26,051,238 efc_CommonSharesIssuedAndOutstandingUponConversionOfAllConvertibleSecurities |  | 34,090,992 efc_CommonSharesIssuedAndOutstandingUponConversionOfAllConvertibleSecurities |  |
Common Shares Issued And Outstanding Upon Conversion Of All LTIP Units |  |  |  |  |  | 20,767,565 efc_CommonSharesIssuedAndOutstandingUponConversionOfAllLtipUnits |  |  |
Secondary public offering [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Common Stock Capitalization [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,500,000.0 us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesNewIssues / efc_SharesIssuedAxis = efc_SecondarypublicofferingMember |
Net proceeds from share issuance |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 76,700,000 efc_Netproceedsfromshareissuance / efc_SharesIssuedAxis = efc_SecondarypublicofferingMember |
Secondary public offering overallotment option [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Common Stock Capitalization [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 525,000 us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesNewIssues / efc_SharesIssuedAxis = efc_SecondarypublicofferingoverallotmentoptionMember
Net proceeds from share issuance |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 11,100,000 efc_Netproceedsfromshareissuance / efc_SharesIssuedAxis = efc_SecondarypublicofferingoverallotmentoptionMember

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- Definition The Company's common shares issued and outstanding if all of the long term incentive plan units and operating partnership units (owned by the non-controlling interest) that have previously been issued were to be fully vested and exchanged for common shares as of the reporting date. + References No definition available. + Details
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