Residential Loans - Characteristics of Residential Loans Held-for-Sale (Details) - Residential Loans $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($) loan	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) loan
SEC Schedule, 12-29, Real Estate Companies, Investment in Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Number of Loans \| loan	994	2,196
Unpaid principal balance	$ 822,063	$ 1,813,865
Fair value of loans	780,781	1,845,282
Market value of loans pledged as collateral under short-term borrowing agreements	$ 775,545	$ 1,838,797
Weighted average coupon (as a percent)	5.12%	3.27%
Number of loans in foreclosure \| loan	0	0
Financing Receivables, Equal to Greater than 90 Days Past Due
SEC Schedule, 12-29, Real Estate Companies, Investment in Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Fair value of loans	$ 208	$ 2,923
Number of loans with 90+ day delinquencies \| loan	1	3
Fair value of loans with 90+ day delinquencies	$ 170	$ 2,304

Financing Receivable, Number Of Loans In Foreclosure

No definition available.

Name:	rwt_FinancingReceivableNumberOfLoansInForeclosure
Namespace Prefix:	rwt_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Financing Receivable, Number Of Loans Past Due

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rwt_FinancingReceivableNumberOfLoansPastDue
Namespace Prefix:	rwt_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Loans Held-for-Sale, Weighted Average Coupon Rate

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rwt_LoansHeldForSaleWeightedAverageCouponRate
Namespace Prefix:	rwt_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- 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:	srt_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	srt_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of mortgage loans within investment in mortgage loan on real estate by entity with substantial portion of business acquiring and holding investment real estate or interest in real estate.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 12
-Footnote 3
-Subsection 29

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 948
-SubTopic 310
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-29(Footnote 3))
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120402547&loc=d3e617274-123014

+ Details

Name:	srt_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateNumberOfLoans
Namespace Prefix:	srt_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This item represents the aggregate fair value of loans held as assets that are 90 days or more past due for which the fair value option has been elected.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (e)(1)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123596393&loc=d3e14064-108612

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueOptionLoansHeldAsAssets90DaysOrMorePastDue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of loan receivable, including, but not limited to, mortgage loans held for investment, finance receivables held for investment, policy loans on insurance contracts.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2196772

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amortized cost, after allowance for credit loss, of financing receivable. Excludes financing receivable covered under loss sharing agreement and net investment in lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255953&loc=SL82919230-210447

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124259787&loc=d3e4428-111522

+ Details

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

- Definition

This is the sum of principal amount outstanding for both securitized and unsecuritized loans of all types.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121570589&loc=d3e107314-111719

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis=rwt_ResidentialLoansAtFairValueMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablesPeriodPastDueAxis=us-gaap_FinancingReceivablesEqualToGreaterThan90DaysPastDueMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: