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Commitments And Contingencies (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2010 | Sep. 30, 2011 | Sep. 30, 2010 | Jun. 30, 2011 | Dec. 31, 2010
Commitments And Contingencies [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |
Loans originated in previous period |  | $ 39,500,000,000 |  |  |
Cured or refuted requests received from investors, percentage |  | 60.00% |  |  |
Actual loss severities, percentage of outstanding balance |  | 50.00% |  |  |
Accrued liabilities for outstanding community development district obligations |  | 39,600,000 |  |  | 73,300,000
Repurchase of special assessment bond |  | 26,600,000 |  |  |
Discount on repurchase of special assessment bond |  | 5,200,000 |  |  |
Letters of credit and surety bonds |  | 1,500,000,000 |  |  | 1,700,000,000
Surety bonds related to certain construction obligations of Centex's previous commercial construction business |  |  |  |  | 817,400,000
Maximum value of work remaining to be performed on Centex's former commercial construction projects |  |  |  | 66,000,000 |
Additional expense to insurance reserve | 272,200,000 |  | 291,800,000 |  |
Additional expense to insurance reserve per basic and diluted share | $ 0.72 |  | $ 0.77 |  |
Claims currently being managed (greater than 1,000) |  | 1,000 |  |  |
Loss contingency claims reserves |  | $ 793,600,000 |  |  |
Percentage of self-insurance liability due to incurred but not reported claims |  | 76.00% |  |  |

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- Definition The increase (decrease) during the period in the carrying amount of accrued known and estimated losses incurred for which no insurance coverage exists, and for which a claim has been made or is probable of being asserted, typically arising from workmen's' compensation-type of incidents and personal injury to nonemployees from accidents on the entity's property. + Details
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- Definition Including the current and noncurrent portions, carrying value as of the balance sheet date of a type of municipal bond typically used to fund a development project. Also called special assessment limited liability bond, special district bond, special purpose bond, special tax bond and community development obligation. Interest owed to lenders is paid by taxes levied on the community benefiting from the particular bond-funded project. For example, if a bond of this sort was issued to pay for sidewalks to be repaved in a certain community, an additional tax would be levied on homeowners in the area benefiting from this project. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 13, 16 -Article 9 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.16) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Article 5 -Section 02 -Subsection 20, 22 + Details
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