v2.4.1.9
Earnings Per Share (Details) (USD $)
 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Sep. 30, 2014
Jun. 30, 2014
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Sep. 30, 2013
Jun. 30, 2013
Mar. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Net increase (decrease) in shareholders' equity resulting from operations                      
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent $ 2,637,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 12,948,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss [1] $ 20,947,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 22,635,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 14,862,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 11,727,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 11,600,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 40,335,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 59,167,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 78,524,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss $ 97,146,000us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Participating Non-controlling Interest                 472,000efc_NetIncomeLossAttributabletoParticipatingNoncontrollingInterest [2] 735,000efc_NetIncomeLossAttributabletoParticipatingNoncontrollingInterest [2] 0efc_NetIncomeLossAttributabletoParticipatingNoncontrollingInterest [2]
Net income (loss) attributable to parent and participating non-controlling interest                 59,639,000efc_Netincomelossattributabletoparentandparticipatingnoncontrollinginterest 79,259,000efc_Netincomelossattributabletoparentandparticipatingnoncontrollinginterest 97,146,000efc_Netincomelossattributabletoparentandparticipatingnoncontrollinginterest
Net increase in shareholders' equity resulting from operations– common shares                 58,306,000efc_NetIncomeLossCommonShares 77,219,000efc_NetIncomeLossCommonShares 95,064,000efc_NetIncomeLossCommonShares
Net increase in shareholders' equity resulting from operations– LTIP units                 861,000efc_NetIncomeLossLtips 1,305,000efc_NetIncomeLossLtips 2,082,000efc_NetIncomeLossLtips
Dividends Paid(2):                      
Common shareholders                 (84,527,000)us-gaap_DividendsCommonStock [3] (89,732,000)us-gaap_DividendsCommonStock [3] (46,433,000)us-gaap_DividendsCommonStock [3]
LTIP unit holders                 (1,269,000)us-gaap_DividendsShareBasedCompensation [3] (1,524,000)us-gaap_DividendsShareBasedCompensation [3] (979,000)us-gaap_DividendsShareBasedCompensation [3]
Non-controlling Interest                 (653,000)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividendsMinorityInterest [3] (811,000)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividendsMinorityInterest [3] 0us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividendsMinorityInterest [3]
Total dividends paid to common shareholders, LTIP unit holders, and non-controlling interest                 (86,449,000)us-gaap_Dividends [3],[4] (92,067,000)us-gaap_Dividends [3],[4] (47,412,000)us-gaap_Dividends [3],[4]
Undistributed (Distributed in excess of) earnings:                      
Common shareholders                 (26,221,000)efc_UndistributedEarningsAllocatedToCommonShares (12,513,000)efc_UndistributedEarningsAllocatedToCommonShares 48,631,000efc_UndistributedEarningsAllocatedToCommonShares
LTIP Unit holders                 (408,000)us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsAllocatedToParticipatingSecurities (219,000)us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsAllocatedToParticipatingSecurities 1,103,000us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsAllocatedToParticipatingSecurities
Non-controlling interest                 (181,000)efc_NonControllingInterest (76,000)efc_NonControllingInterest 0efc_NonControllingInterest
Total undistributed (distributed in excess of) earnings attributable to common shareholders, LTIP unit holders, and non-controlling interest                 (26,810,000)us-gaap_UndistributedEarnings (12,808,000)us-gaap_UndistributedEarnings 49,734,000us-gaap_UndistributedEarnings
Weighted average shares outstanding (basic and diluted):                      
Weighted average common shares outstanding                 27,962,304efc_WeightedAverageNumberOfCommonShareOutstandingBasicAndDiluted 23,587,692efc_WeightedAverageNumberOfCommonShareOutstandingBasicAndDiluted 17,897,996efc_WeightedAverageNumberOfCommonShareOutstandingBasicAndDiluted
Weighted average participating LTIP units                 413,105efc_WeightedAverageParticipatingLongTermIncentivePlanUnits 398,789efc_WeightedAverageParticipatingLongTermIncentivePlanUnits 391,944efc_WeightedAverageParticipatingLongTermIncentivePlanUnits
Weighted average non-controlling interest units                 212,000efc_EfcWeightedaverageparticipatingnoncontrollinginterestunits 212,000efc_EfcWeightedaverageparticipatingnoncontrollinginterestunits 0efc_EfcWeightedaverageparticipatingnoncontrollinginterestunits
Basic earnings per common share:                      
Distributed (in usd per share)                 $ 3.08us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasicDistributed $ 3.83us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasicDistributed $ 2.50us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasicDistributed
Undistributed (in usd per share)                 $ (0.99)us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasicUndistributed $ (0.55)us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasicUndistributed $ 2.81us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasicUndistributed
Basic earnings per common share (in usd per share)                 $ 2.09us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 3.28us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic $ 5.31us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic
Diluted earnings per common share:                      
Distributed (in usd per share)                 $ 3.08us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDilutedDistributed $ 3.83us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDilutedDistributed $ 2.50us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDilutedDistributed
Undistributed (in usd per share)                 $ (0.99)us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDilutedUndistributed $ (0.55)us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDilutedUndistributed $ 2.81us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDilutedUndistributed
Diluted earnings per common share (in usd per share)                 $ 2.09us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 3.28us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted $ 5.31us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Non-Participating Non-controlling Interest                 $ 300,000efc_NetIncomeLossAttributabletoNonParticipatingNoncontrollingInterest $ 100,000efc_NetIncomeLossAttributabletoNonParticipatingNoncontrollingInterest  
[1] Prior period conformed to current period presentation.
[2] For the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, excludes net increase in equity resulting from operations of $0.3 million and $0.1 million, respectively attributable to the joint venture partner, which has non-participating interests as described in Note 9.
[3] The Company pays quarterly dividends in arrears, so a portion of the dividends paid in each calendar year relate to the prior year's earnings.
[4] For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012, dividends totaling $3.08, $3.83, and $2.50, respectively, per common share and convertible unit outstanding, were declared and paid.