v3.19.1

Financial Highlights (Expense Ratios to Average Equity) (Details)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018
Investment Company, Financial Highlights [Abstract]
Operating expenses, before interest expense and other investment related expenses	(2.67%)
Interest expense and other investment related expenses	(9.56%)
Total Expenses	(12.23%)

X

- Definition

The ratio of interest and other investment related expenses to average total equity (including non-controlling interest).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	efc_RatioOfInterestandotherinvestmentrelatedExpensesToAverageEquity
Namespace Prefix:	efc_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The ratio of operating expenses (before incentive fee, interest expense, and other investment related expenses) to average total equity (inclusive of non-controlling interest).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	efc_RatioOfOperatingExpensesBeforeIncentiveFeeInterestExpenseandOtherInvestmentRelatedExpensesToAverageEquity
Namespace Prefix:	efc_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Percentage of expense, after incentive allocation, to average net assets.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 946
-SubTopic 205
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25866437&loc=d3e10342-115837

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentCompanyExpenseRatioAfterIncentiveAllocation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentCompanyFinancialHighlightsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration