Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability, Maximum Exposure

No definition available.

Name:	rwt_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationLiabilityMaximumExposure
Namespace Prefix:	rwt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability, Term

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rwt_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationLiabilityTerm
Namespace Prefix:	rwt_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Intangible Asset Amortization Expense of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rwt_BusinessCombinationProFormaInformationIntangibleAssetAmortizationExpenseofAcquireesinceAcquisitionDateActual
Namespace Prefix:	rwt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Equity Method Investment, Option To Purchase Additional Equity, Option Term

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rwt_EquityMethodInvestmentOptionToPurchaseAdditionalEquityOptionTerm
Namespace Prefix:	rwt_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The net income attributable to mortgage banking activities. This includes market valuations related to residential and commercial loans, Sequoia IOs, and mortgage banking derivatives, as well as realized gains or losses associated with mortgage loan sales.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rwt_MortgageBankingActivitiesNet
Namespace Prefix:	rwt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Percentage of voting equity interests acquired at the acquisition date in the business combination.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=79982066&loc=d3e1392-128463

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPercentageOfVotingInterestsAcquired
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of goodwill arising from a business combination that is expected to be deductible for tax purposes.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e6927-128479

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of liability recognized arising from contingent consideration in a business combination.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e6927-128479

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 35
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116859824&loc=d3e6819-128478

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 25
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911189&loc=d3e6408-128476

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationLiability
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the amount of earnings or loss of the acquiree since the acquisition date included in the consolidated income statement for the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (h)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=79982066&loc=d3e1392-128463

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationProFormaInformationEarningsOrLossOfAcquireeSinceAcquisitionDateActual
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents the amount of revenue of the acquiree since the acquisition date included in the consolidated income statement for the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (h)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=79982066&loc=d3e1392-128463

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationProFormaInformationRevenueOfAcquireeSinceAcquisitionDateActual
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of identifiable intangible assets recognized as of the acquisition date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 37
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116868840&loc=d3e2207-128464

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116869197&loc=d3e4845-128472

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedIntangibles
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of equity in the acquiree held by the acquirer immediately before the acquisition date in a business combination.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationStepAcquisitionEquityInterestInAcquireePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

In a business combination achieved in stages, this element represents the amount of gain recognized by the entity as a result of remeasuring to fair value the equity interest in the acquiree it held before the business combination.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (g)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=79982066&loc=d3e1392-128463

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationStepAcquisitionEquityInterestInAcquireeRemeasurementGain
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount after accumulated impairment loss of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77989000&loc=SL49117168-202975

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99380562&loc=d3e13770-109266

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_Goodwill
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of business during the period. The cash portion only of the acquisition price.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The cash outflow associated with the purchase of or advances to an equity method investments, which are investments in joint ventures and entities in which the entity has an equity ownership interest normally of 20 to 50 percent and exercises significant influence.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118932676&loc=d3e3213-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireEquityMethodInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=rwt_A5ArchesLLCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=rwt_A5ArchesLLCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Basis of Presentation - Acquisition of 5 Arches (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 01, 2019	May 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Remeasurement gain			$ 0	$ 0	$ 2,441	$ 0
Contingent consideration			24,932		24,932		$ 0
Mortgage banking activities, net			19,160	$ 10,596	31,469	$ 37,172
5 Arches, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percent acquired	80.00%
Minority interest, percentage		20.00%
Payment of cash to acquire business	$ 13,000
Contingent consideration maximum amount	27,000
Contingent consideration performance term		2 years
Remeasurement gain					2,000
Intangibles	24,800
Goodwill	28,728		$ 28,728		28,728		$ 0
Goodwill deductible for tax purposes	3,000
Contingent consideration	$ 24,621
Revenue					6,000
Net loss					2,000
Intangible assets amortization expense					$ 3,000
5 Arches, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to acquire equity method investment		$ 10,000
Option to purchase additional equity, term		1 year