Inventory And Land Held For Sale (Policy)	9 Months Ended
Inventory And Land Held For Sale (Policy)	Sep. 30, 2011
Inventory And Land Held For Sale [Abstract]
Capitalized Interest Policy	The Company capitalizes interest cost into inventory during the active development and construction of the Company's communities. Each layer of capitalized interest is amortized over a period that approximates the average life of communities under development. Interest expense is allocated over the period based on the cyclical timing of unit settlements.
Land And Community Valuation Adjustments	Land and community valuation adjustments In accordance with ASC 360, "Property, Plant, and Equipment" ("ASC 360"), the Company records valuation adjustments on land inventory and related communities under development when events and circumstances indicate that they may be impaired and when the cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than their carrying amounts. Such indicators include gross margin or sales paces significantly below expectations, construction costs or land development costs significantly in excess of budgeted amounts, significant delays or changes in the planned development for the community, and other known qualitative factors. For communities that are not yet active, a significant additional consideration includes an evaluation of the probability, timing, and cost of obtaining necessary approvals from local municipalities and any potential concessions that may be necessary in order to obtain such approvals. The Company also considers potential changes to the product offerings in a community and any alternative strategies for the land, such as the sale of the land either in whole or in parcels. A portion of the Company's land inventory and communities under development demonstrated potential impairment indicators during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, and were accordingly tested for impairment. As required by ASC 360, the Company compared the expected undiscounted cash flows for these communities to their carrying value. For those communities whose carrying values exceeded the expected undiscounted cash flows, the Company calculated the fair value of the community in accordance with ASC 360. Impairment charges are required to be recorded if the fair value of the community's inventory is less than its carrying value. The Company determines the fair value of a community's inventory primarily using a combination of market comparable land transactions, where available, and discounted cash flow models. These estimated cash flows are significantly impacted by estimates related to expected average selling prices and sales incentives, expected sales paces and cancellation rates, expected land development and construction timelines, and anticipated land development, construction, and overhead costs. The assumptions used in the discounted cash flow models are specific to each community tested for impairment and typically do not assume improvements in market conditions in the near term. Due to uncertainties in the estimation process, the significant volatility in demand for new housing, and the long life cycles of many communities, actual results could differ significantly from such estimates. The Company's determination of fair value also requires discounting the estimated cash flows at a rate commensurate with the inherent risks associated with each of the assets and related estimated cash flow streams. The discount rate used in determining each community's fair value depends on the stage of development of the community and other specific factors that increase or decrease the inherent risks associated with the community's cash flow streams. For example, communities that are entitled and near completion will generally require a lower discount rate than communities that are not entitled and consist of multiple phases spanning several years of development and construction activity.
Net Realizable Value Adjustments - Land Held For Sale	Net realizable value adjustments – land held for sale The Company acquires land primarily for the construction of homes for sale to customers but may periodically elect to sell select parcels of land to third parties for commercial or other development. Additionally, the Company may determine that certain of its land assets no longer fit into its strategic operating plans. Assuming the criteria in ASC 360 are met, the Company classifies any such land as land held for sale. In accordance with ASC 360, the Company values land held for sale at the lower of carrying value or fair value less costs to sell. In determining the fair value of land held for sale, the Company considers recent legitimate offers received, prices for land in recent comparable sales transactions, and other factors. Based on this review, a portion of the Company's land held for sale has been written down to net realizable value. The Company recognized net realizable value adjustments (recoveries) of $0.1 million and $(0.1) million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, respectively, and $0.6 million and $1.0 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010, respectively. The Company records these net realizable value adjustments within Homebuilding land sale cost of revenues.
Write-Offs Of Deposits And Pre-Acquisition Costs	Write-off of deposits and pre-acquisition costs From time to time, the Company writes off certain deposits and pre-acquisition costs related to land option contracts the Company no longer plans to pursue.Such decisions take into consideration changes in local market conditions, the willingness of land sellers to modify terms of the related purchase agreement, the timing of required land takedowns, the availability and best use of necessary incremental capital, and other factors. The Company wrote off (net of recoveries) deposits and pre-acquisition costs in the amount of $2.3 million and $6.6 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, respectively, and $1.1 million and $4.0 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010, respectively. The Company records these write-offs of deposits and pre-acquisition costs within other expense (income), net.