Mortgage Servicing Rights - Schedule of Fair Value of MSRs and Aggregate Principal Amounts of Associated Loans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Servicing Assets at Fair Value [Line Items]
Mortgage servicing rights, at fair value	[1]	$ 62,928		$ 118,526
Associated Principal		5,747,006		10,456,889
MSRs
Servicing Assets at Fair Value [Line Items]
Mortgage servicing rights, at fair value		62,928	$ 63,770	118,526	$ 106,009	$ 110,046	$ 191,976
MSRs | Conforming Loans
Servicing Assets at Fair Value [Line Items]
Mortgage servicing rights, at fair value		1,125		58,523
Associated Principal		107,298		4,989,720
MSRs | Jumbo Loans
Servicing Assets at Fair Value [Line Items]
Mortgage servicing rights, at fair value		61,803		60,003
Associated Principal		$ 5,639,708		$ 5,467,169

[1] Our consolidated balance sheets include assets of consolidated variable interest entities (“VIEs”) that can only be used to settle obligations of these VIEs and liabilities of consolidated VIEs for which creditors do not have recourse to Redwood Trust, Inc. or its affiliates. At September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, assets of consolidated VIEs totaled $995,768 and $798,317, respectively. At September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, liabilities of consolidated VIEs totaled $945,873 and $773,980, respectively. See Note 4 for further discussion.