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Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies  
Earnings Per Share

Earnings per share

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing income (loss) available to common shareholders (the "numerator") by the weighted-average number of common shares, adjusted for non-vested shares of restricted stock (the "denominator") for the period. Computing diluted earnings per share is similar to computing basic earnings per share, except that the denominator is increased to include the dilutive effects of options and non-vested shares of restricted stock. Any options that have an exercise price greater than the average market price are considered to be anti-dilutive and are excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, all stock options and non-vested restricted stock were excluded from the calculation as they were anti-dilutive due to the net loss recorded during the periods.

Unvested share-based payment awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents are participating securities and, therefore, are included in computing earnings per share pursuant to the two-class method. The two-class method determines earnings per share for each class of common stock and participating securities according to dividends or dividend equivalents and their respective participation rights in undistributed earnings. Although the Company's outstanding restricted stock and restricted stock units are considered participating securities, there were no earnings attributable to restricted shareholders during the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 or 2010.

Land, Not Owned, Under Option Agreements

Land, not owned, under option agreements

In the ordinary course of business, the Company enters into land option agreements in order to procure land for the construction of homes in the future. Pursuant to these land option agreements, the Company generally provides a deposit to the seller as consideration for the right to purchase land at different times in the future, usually at predetermined prices. Under Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 810, "Consolidation" ("ASC 810"), if the entity holding the land under option is a variable interest entity ("VIE"), the Company's deposit represents a variable interest in that entity. If the Company is determined to be the primary beneficiary of the VIE, then the Company is required to consolidate the VIE.

In applying the provisions of ASC 810, the Company evaluates all land option agreements with VIEs to determine whether the Company is the primary beneficiary. The Company generally has little control or influence over the operations of these VIEs due to the Company's lack of an equity interest in them. The VIE is generally protected from the first dollar of loss under the Company's land option agreement due to the Company's deposit. Likewise, the VIE's gains are generally capped based on the purchase price within the land option agreement. Additionally, creditors of the VIE have no recourse against the Company, and the Company does not provide financial or other support to these VIEs other than as stipulated in the land option agreements. The Company's maximum exposure to loss related to these VIEs is generally limited to the Company's deposits and pre-acquisition costs under the applicable land option agreements. In recent years, the Company has canceled a significant number of land option agreements, which has resulted in significant write-offs of the related deposits and pre-acquisition costs but has not exposed the Company to the overall risks or losses of the applicable VIEs. No VIEs required consolidation under ASC 810 at either June 30, 2011 or December 31, 2010.

Additionally, the Company determined that certain land option agreements represent financing arrangements pursuant to ASC 470-40, "Accounting for Product Financing Arrangements" ("ASC 470-40"), even though the Company has no direct obligation to pay these future amounts. As a result, the Company recorded $30.0 million and $50.8 million at June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively, to land, not owned, under option agreements with a corresponding increase to accrued and other liabilities. Such amounts represent the remaining purchase price under the land option agreements, some of which are with VIEs, in the event the Company exercises the purchase rights under the agreements.

Residential Mortgage Loans Available for Sale

Residential mortgage loans available-for-sale

Substantially all of the loans originated by the Company are sold in the secondary mortgage market within a short period of time after origination. In accordance with ASC 825, "Financial Instruments," the Company has elected the fair value option for its portfolio loans available-for-sale. Election of the fair value option for residential mortgage loans available-for-sale allows a better offset of the changes in fair values of the loans and the derivative instruments used to economically hedge them without having to apply complex hedge accounting provisions. The Company does not designate any derivative instruments or apply the hedge accounting provisions of ASC 815, "Derivatives and Hedging." Fair values for conventional agency residential mortgage loans available-for-sale are determined based on quoted market prices for comparable instruments. Fair values for government and non-agency residential mortgage loans available-for-sale are determined based on purchase commitments from whole loan investors and other relevant market information available to management. At June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, residential mortgage loans available-for-sale had an aggregate fair value of $148.5 million and $176.2 million, respectively, and an aggregate outstanding principal balance of $144.3 million and $175.9 million, respectively. The net gain (loss) resulting from changes in fair value of residential mortgage loans available-for-sale totaled $(1.9) million and $2.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $(1.4) million and $1.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and was included in Financial Services revenues. These changes in fair value were mostly offset by changes in fair value of the corresponding hedging instruments. Net gains from the sale of mortgages were $12.3 million and $20.3 million during the three months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $25.1 million and $35.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and have been included in Financial Services revenues.

Mortgage Servicing Rights

Mortgage servicing rights

The Company sells its servicing rights monthly on a flow basis through fixed price servicing contracts. In accordance with Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 109, the Company recognizes the fair value of its rights to service a mortgage loan as revenue at the time of entering into an interest rate lock commitment with a borrower. Due to the short period of time the servicing rights are held, the Company does not amortize the servicing asset. The servicing sales contracts provide for the reimbursement of payments made by the purchaser if loans prepay within specified periods of time, generally within 90 to 120 days after sale. The Company establishes reserves for this liability at the time the sale is recorded. Such reserves totaled $0.4 million and $0.5 million at June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively, and are included in accrued and other liabilities. Servicing rights recognized in Financial Services revenues totaled $3.8 million and $6.1 million during the three months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $8.7 million and $12.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Derivative instruments and hedging activities

The Company is exposed to market risks from commitments to lend, movements in interest rates, and cancelled or modified commitments to lend. A commitment to lend at a specific interest rate (an interest rate lock commitment) is a derivative financial instrument (interest rate is locked to the borrower). In order to reduce these risks, the Company uses other derivative financial instruments to economically hedge the interest rate lock commitment. These financial instruments include forward contracts on mortgage-backed securities and whole loan investor commitments. The Company does not use any derivative financial instruments for trading purposes. The Company enters into one of the aforementioned derivative financial instruments upon entering into interest rate lock commitments. Changes in the fair value of the interest rate lock commitment and the other derivative financial instruments are recognized in current period earnings and the fair value is reflected in other assets or other liabilities. The gains and losses are included in Financial Services revenues.

Fair values for interest rate lock commitments, including the value of servicing rights, are based on market prices for similar instruments. At June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the Company had interest rate lock commitments in the amount of $174.8 million and $99.0 million, respectively, which were originated at interest rates prevailing at the date of commitment. Because the Company can terminate a loan commitment if the borrower does not comply with the terms of the contract, and some loan commitments may expire without being drawn upon, these commitments do not necessarily represent future cash requirements of the Company. The Company evaluates the creditworthiness of these transactions through its normal credit policies.

 

Forward contracts on mortgage-backed securities are commitments to either purchase or sell a specified financial instrument at a specified future date for a specified price and may be settled in cash, by offsetting the position, or through the delivery of the financial instrument. Whole loan investor commitments are obligations of the investor to buy loans at a specified price within a specified time period. Forward contracts on mortgage-backed securities are the predominant derivative financial instruments used to minimize the market risk during the period from the time the Company extends an interest rate lock to a loan applicant until the time the loan is sold to an investor. Forward contracts on mortgage-backed securities are valued based on market prices for similar instruments. Fair values for whole loan investor commitments are based on market prices for similar instruments from the specific whole loan investor. At June 30, 2011, the Company had unexpired forward contracts and whole loan investor commitments of $252.0 million and $35.6 million, respectively, compared with cash forward contracts on mortgage-backed securities and whole loan investor commitments of $198.0 million and $59.0 million, respectively, at December 31, 2010.

There are no credit-risk-related contingent features within the Company's derivative agreements. Gains and losses on interest rate lock commitments are substantially offset by corresponding gains or losses on forward contracts on mortgage-backed securities and whole loan investor commitments. At June 30, 2011, the maximum length of time that the Company was exposed to the variability in future cash flows of derivative instruments was approximately 75 days.