CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021		Dec. 31, 2020		Dec. 31, 2019
Cash Flows From Operating Activities
Net income (loss)	$ 805,582		$ (1,357,684)		$ 605,933
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Change in fair value of Excess MSRs	13,260		19,721		3,705
Change in fair value of servicer advance investments	9,076		(763)		(10,288)
Change in fair value of residential mortgage loans, at fair value	(155,758)		107,604		70,914
Change in fair value of secured notes and bonds payable	(12,991)		966		1,236
Change in fair value of real estate and other securities	400,369		(28,455)		(2,101)
Change in fair value of consumer loans	20,133		(2,816)		0
(Gain) loss on settlement of investments, net	233,076		863,898		(236,513)
(Gain) loss on originated residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale, net	(1,826,909)		(1,399,092)		(460,107)
Bargain purchase gain	(6,024)		0		(49,539)
Earnings from investments in consumer loans, equity method investees	0		0		1,438
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt	1,485		66,233		8,532
Change in fair value of derivative instruments	(298,803)		53,467		56,143
Change in fair value of contingent consideration	1,037		6,568		10,487
Change in fair value of equity investments	(5,986)		54,455		3,096
(Gain) loss on transfer of loans to REO	(3,752)		(7,945)		(11,842)
(Gain) loss on transfer of loans to other assets	9		939		1,144
(Gain) loss on Ocwen common stock	(2,181)		(3,235)		(174)
Accretion and other amortization	(49,382)		(151,540)		(379,129)
Depreciation on single family rental properties	6,072		625		113
Provision (reversal) for credit losses on securities	(5,201)		13,404		25,174
Valuation and credit loss provision (reversal) on loans and real estate owned	(42,543)		110,208		10,403
Non-cash portions of servicing revenue, net	575,353		2,168,909		901,973
Non-cash directors’ compensation	1,110		1,211		1,055
Deferred tax provision	151,200		15,029		38,207
Changes in:
Servicer advances receivable, net	226,173		336,589		218,217
Other assets	939,930		99,477		(339,733)
Due to affiliates	8,369		(94,432)		2,411
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	(349,733)		(86,543)		182,153
Other operating cash flows:
Interest and distributions received from Excess MSRs	21,142		30,855		43,049
Interest received from servicer advance investments	13,033		19,322		28,437
Interest received from Non-Agency RMBS	104,463		170,151		264,694
Interest received from residential mortgage loans, held-for-investment	0		5,139		8,485
Interest received from consumer loans	14,901		0		30,588
Distributions of earnings from consumer loan equity method investees	0		0		8,607
Purchases of residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	(8,102,055)		(3,433,110)		(8,610,511)
Origination of residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	(122,564,612)		(60,951,784)		(19,411,150)
Origination and advances of mortgage loans receivable	(70,938)		0		0
Proceeds from sales of purchased and originated residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	132,220,995		64,968,767		24,968,751
Principal repayments from mortgage loans receivable	60,811		0		0
Principal repayments from purchased residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	553,161		277,568		417,840
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	2,883,872		1,873,706		(1,598,302)
Cash Flows From Investing Activities
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(1,173,171)		0		(1,223,233)
Purchase of servicer advance investments	(1,286,526)		(1,294,757)		(1,622,808)
Purchase of MSRs, MSR financing receivables and servicer advance receivables	(23,015)		(539,889)		(1,450,375)
Purchase of Agency RMBS	(6,098,841)		(23,187,216)		(35,479,893)
Purchase of Non-Agency RMBS	(709)		(56,515)		(885,629)
Purchase of REO and other assets	(547,314)		(23,640)		(68,024)
Purchase of investment in consumer loans, equity method investees	0		0		(64,499)
Purchase of commercial real estate, equity method investees	(25,138)		0		0
Draws on revolving consumer loans	(29,002)		(33,041)		(54,375)
Purchase of SFR properties	(544,850)		(17,763)		(24,246)
Origination of commercial loans	(250,000)		0		0
Payments for settlement of derivatives	(199,614)		(214,747)		(300,771)
Return of investments in Excess MSRs	50,710		58,970		68,613
Return of investments in consumer loans, equity method investees	0		0		92,748
Principal repayments from servicer advance investments	1,382,344		1,338,101		1,786,394
Principal repayments from Agency RMBS	2,168,212		1,101,564		2,085,283
Principal repayments from Non-Agency RMBS	162,638		407,996		1,294,010
Principal repayments from residential mortgage loans	119,841		139,561		113,602
Proceeds from sale of residential mortgage loans	9,922		0		41,622
Principal repayments from commercial loans	23,442		0		0
Principal repayments from consumer loans	191,177		229,218		261,456
Principal repayments from MSRs and MSR financing receivables	1,930		80,838		51,470
Proceeds from sale of mortgage servicing rights	61,041		14,694		24,528
Proceeds from sale of Excess MSRs	3,327		1,142		10,095
Proceeds from sale of Agency RMBS	8,074,294		24,928,144		22,173,505
Proceeds from sale of Non-Agency RMBS	164,680		5,451,493		1,950,384
Proceeds from settlement of derivatives	16,643		164,417		108,472
Proceeds from sale of REO	54,232		79,108		138,910
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	2,306,253		8,627,678		(10,972,761)
Cash Flows From Financing Activities
Repayments of secured financing agreements	(69,206,600)		(122,526,887)		(196,120,793)
Repayments of warehouse credit facilities	(130,744,991)		(64,520,481)		(34,833,314)
Margin deposits under secured financing agreements and derivatives	(5,783,542)		(4,092,498)		(4,567,677)
Proceeds from issuance of term loan	0		592,400		0
Repayment of term loan	0		(600,000)		0
Proceeds from issuance of unsecured senior notes	0		544,400		0
Repayments of secured notes and bonds payable	(8,078,073)		(9,452,948)		(9,307,033)
Deferred financing fees	(8,385)		(43,705)		(6,705)
Common stock dividends paid	(375,869)		(332,479)		(807,788)
Preferred stock dividends paid	(62,675)		(51,088)		(9,334)
Borrowings under secured financing agreements	64,749,425		113,228,180		207,138,969
Borrowings under warehouse credit facilities	129,899,057		63,453,603		36,177,659
Return of margin deposits under secured financing agreements and derivatives	6,032,909		4,016,721		4,365,946
Borrowings under secured notes and bonds payable	7,964,077		9,380,533		9,706,864
Issuance of preferred stock	449,489		389,548		423,444
Issuance of common stock	513,540		1,735		752,217
Repurchase of common stock	0		(7,462)		0
Costs related to issuance of common and preferred stock	(119)		(72)		(824)
Noncontrolling interest in equity of consolidated subsidiaries - contributions	0		2,449		0
Noncontrolling interest in equity of consolidated subsidiaries - distributions	(55,600)		(41,800)		(54,712)
Payment of contingent consideration	(12,276)		(51,994)		(10,000)
Purchase of noncontrolling interests	(22,523)		0		0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(4,742,156)		(10,111,845)		12,846,919
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash	447,969		389,539		275,856
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash, Beginning of Period	1,080,473		690,934		415,078
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash, End of Period	1,528,442		1,080,473		690,934
Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information
Cash paid during the period for interest	505,978		512,139		902,466
Cash paid during the period for income taxes	23,506		3,629		1,479
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Dividends declared but not paid	127,922		90,128
Warrants issued with term loan	0		53,462		0
Purchase of investments, primarily Agency and Non-Agency RMBS, settled after year end	0		154		902,081
Sale of investments, primarily Agency RMBS, settled after year end	0		4,180		5,256,014
Transfer from residential mortgage loans to real estate owned and other assets	30,020		69,812		95,640
Transfer from residential mortgage loans, held-for-investment to residential mortgage loans, held-for-sale	0		0		9,136
Non-cash distributions from LoanCo	0		0		25,739
Purchase price holdback	0		(45,013)		(25,245)
Contingent consideration	4,951		14,247
Seller financing in Genesis acquisition	1,256,279		0		0
Ditech effective settlement of Preexisting Relationships	0		0		4,919
Real estate securities retained from loan securitizations	173,631		518,515		1,171,959
Residential mortgage loans subject to repurchase	1,787,314	[1]	1,452,005	[1]	172,336
Guardian Acquisition
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Contingent consideration	0		0		13,893
Common Stock
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Dividends declared but not paid	116,675		82,949		207,761
Preferred Stock
Supplemental Schedule of Non-Cash Investing and Financing Activities
Dividends declared but not paid	$ 22,495		$ 14,357		$ 3,971

[1] See Note 6 for details.