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Fair Value of Financial Instruments (Carry Value vs Fair Value) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | Dec. 31, 2020 | Dec. 31, 2019
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Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Residential whole loans, at carrying value | $ 4,195,332 | $ 6,069,370 | [1]
Residential whole loans, at fair value | 1,216,902 | 1,381,583 |
Fair Value | 161,000 | 3,983,519 |
MSR-related assets | 238,999 | 1,217,002 |
Restricted cash | 7,165 | 64,035 |
Carrying value |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
MSR-related assets | 238,999 | 1,217,002 |
Cash and cash equivalents | 814,354 | 70,629 |
Restricted cash | 7,165 | 64,035 |
Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Financing agreements with mark-to-market collateral provisions | 1,124,162 | 4,741,971 |
Securitized debt | 1,514,509 | 570,952 |
Convertible senior notes | 225,177 | 223,971 |
Senior notes (4) | 100,000 | 96,862 |
Estimated fair value |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
MSR-related assets | 238,999 | 1,217,002 |
Cash and cash equivalents | 814,354 | 70,629 |
Restricted cash | 7,165 | 64,035 |
Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Financing agreements with mark-to-market collateral provisions | 1,124,162 | 4,753,070 |
Securitized debt | 1,519,567 | 575,353 |
Convertible senior notes | 228,287 | 244,088 |
Senior notes (4) | 100,031 | 103,231 |
Residential whole loans |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Residential whole loans, at fair value | 1,216,902 | 1,381,583 |
Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Financing agreements with mark-to-market collateral provisions | 1,124,162 | 4,743,094 |
Residential whole loans | Carrying value |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Residential whole loans, at carrying value | 4,108,499 | 6,069,370 |
Residential whole loans, at fair value | 1,216,902 | 1,381,583 |
Residential whole loans | Estimated fair value |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Residential whole loans, at carrying value | 4,282,401 | 6,248,745 |
Residential whole loans, at fair value | 1,216,902 | 1,381,583 |
Non-Agency MBS |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Fair Value | 56,766 | 2,063,529 |
Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Financing agreements with mark-to-market collateral provisions | 1,282 | 1,121,802 |
Non-Agency MBS | Carrying value |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Fair Value | 56,766 | 2,063,529 |
Non-Agency MBS | Estimated fair value |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Fair Value | 56,766 | 2,063,529 |
Agency MBS |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Fair Value |  | 1,664,582 |
Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Financing agreements with mark-to-market collateral provisions | 0 | 1,557,675 |
Agency MBS | Carrying value |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Fair Value | 0 | 1,664,582 |
Agency MBS | Estimated fair value |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Fair Value | 0 | 1,664,582 |
CRT securities |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Fair Value | 104,234 | 255,408 |
Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Financing agreements with mark-to-market collateral provisions | 54,883 | 203,569 |
CRT securities | Carrying value |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Fair Value | 104,234 | 255,408 |
CRT securities | Estimated fair value |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Fair Value | 104,234 | 255,408 |
Financing agreements with non-mark-to-market collateral provisions |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Financing agreements with mark-to-market collateral provisions | 252,747 | 0 |
Financing agreements with non-mark-to-market collateral provisions | Carrying value |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Financing agreements | 1,159,213 | 0 |
Financing agreements with non-mark-to-market collateral provisions | Estimated fair value |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Financing agreements | 1,159,213 | 0 |
Financing agreements with mark-to-market collateral provisions | Carrying value |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Financing agreements | 213,915 | 4,397,850 |
Financing agreements with mark-to-market collateral provisions | Estimated fair value |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Liabilities, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
Financing agreements | $ 213,915 | 4,403,139 |
Fair Value, Nonrecurring | Carrying value |  |  |
Financial Instruments, Financial Assets, Balance Sheet Groupings [Abstract] |  |  |
MSR-related assets |  | $ 59,500 |
[1] | For the year ended December 31, 2020, includes approximately $2.7 million (360,534 shares) surrendered for tax purposes related to equity-based compensation awards. For the year ended December 31, 2019, includes approximately $4.1 million (562,815 shares) surrendered for tax purposes related to equity-based compensation awards. For the year ended December 31, 2018, includes approximately $3.4 million (464,429 shares) surrendered for tax purposes related to equity-based compensation awards.

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- Definition Amount of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale). + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(6)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120398452&loc=d3e534808-122878 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 326 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121558606&loc=SL82898722-210454 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121553693&loc=d3e26610-111562 Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (aa) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121645371&loc=d3e27161-111563 + Details
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- Definition Fair value portion of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Including the current and noncurrent portions, carrying value as of the balance sheet date of Notes with the highest claim on the assets of the issuer in case of bankruptcy or liquidation (with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle if longer). Senior note holders are paid off in full before any payments are made to junior note holders. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.16(a)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120400017&loc=d3e572229-122910 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.16) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120398452&loc=d3e534808-122878 + Details
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