Short-Term Debt - Schedule of Outstanding Balances of Short-Term Debt by Type of Collateral Securing Debt (Details)		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) facility	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($) facility
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt, net	[1]	$ 1,558,222,000	$ 2,029,679,000
Non-Recourse BPL Financing
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Number of Facilities | facility		11	19
Short-term debt, net		$ 1,121,395,000	$ 1,620,096,000
Servicer advance financing
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Number of Facilities | facility		1	1
Short-term debt, net		$ 153,653,000	$ 206,510,000
Limit		$ 240,000,000	$ 290,000,000
Weighted Average Interest Rate		7.71%	6.67%
Weighted Average Days Until Maturity		337 days	305 days
Subordinate securities financing
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Number of Facilities | facility		1
Short-term debt, net		$ 124,552,000
Limit		$ 0
Weighted Average Interest Rate		7.21%
Weighted Average Days Until Maturity		266 days
Promissory notes
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt, net		$ 16,064,000	$ 27,058,000
Weighted Average Interest Rate		6.97%	6.64%
Convertible notes, net
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Short-term debt, net		$ 142,558,000	$ 176,015,000
Weighted Average Interest Rate		5.63%	4.75%
Weighted Average Days Until Maturity		197 days	227 days
Residential loan warehouse | Non-Recourse BPL Financing
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Number of Facilities | facility		4	7
Short-term debt, net		$ 796,537,000	$ 703,406,000
Limit		$ 1,150,000,000	$ 2,550,000,000
Weighted Average Interest Rate		7.27%	6.16%
Weighted Average Days Until Maturity		202 days	267 days
Business purpose loan warehouse | Non-Recourse BPL Financing
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Number of Facilities | facility		2	4
Short-term debt, net		$ 71,719,000	$ 680,100,000
Limit		$ 455,000,000	$ 1,650,000,000
Weighted Average Interest Rate		8.14%	6.93%
Weighted Average Days Until Maturity		166 days	179 days
Real estate securities repo | Non-Recourse BPL Financing
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Number of Facilities | facility		3	7
Short-term debt, net		$ 82,622,000	$ 124,909,000
Limit		$ 0	$ 0
Weighted Average Interest Rate		7.01%	5.22%
Weighted Average Days Until Maturity		26 days	27 days
Residential MSR warehouse | Non-Recourse BPL Financing
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Number of Facilities | facility		1
Short-term debt, net		$ 47,858,000
Limit		$ 50,000,000
Weighted Average Interest Rate		8.60%
Weighted Average Days Until Maturity		302 days
HEI warehouse | Non-Recourse BPL Financing
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Number of Facilities | facility		1	1
Short-term debt, net		$ 122,659,000	$ 111,681,000
Limit		$ 150,000,000	$ 150,000,000
Weighted Average Interest Rate		9.89%	8.54%
Weighted Average Days Until Maturity		214 days	306 days

[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 December 31, 2023 and 2022, assets of consolidated VIEs totaled $10,988,885 and $9,257,291, respectively. At December 31, 2023 and 2022, liabilities of consolidated VIEs totaled $10,096,308 and $8,270,276, respectively. See Note 4 for further discussion.