Counterparty Risk (Cash and Cash Equivalents) (Details)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Bank of New York Mellon Corporation [Member]
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage, cash and cash equivalents	100.00%	73.00%
JP Morgan Prime Money Market Premier Fund [Member]
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage, cash and cash equivalents	0.00%	27.00%

The percentage of cash or cash equivalents held with a specific counterparty.

No definition available.

Name:	efc_Concentrationriskpercentagecashandcashequivalents
Namespace Prefix:	efc_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant