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Real Estate and Capitalized Interest (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified | Sep. 30, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2011
--- | --- | ---
Real Estate Properties |  |  |  |
Homes under contract under construction | $ 205,616 | [1] | $ 101,445 | [1]
Unsold homes, completed and under construction | 98,354 | [1] | 97,246 | [1]
Model homes | 55,853 | [1] | 49,892 | [1]
Finished home sites and home sites under development | 524,842 |  | 441,242 |
Land held for development | 54,981 | [2] | 55,143 | [2]
Land held for sale | 24,619 |  | 29,908 |
Communities in mothball status | 40,560 | [3] | 40,549 | [3]
Real estate | $ 1,004,825 |  | $ 815,425 |
[1] | Includes the allocated land and land development costs associated with each lot for these homes.
[2] | Land held for development primarily reflects land and land development costs related to land where development activity is not currently underway but is expected to begin in the future. In these cases, we may have chosen not to currently develop certain land holdings as they typically represent a portion of a large land parcel that we plan to build out over several years.
[3] | Represents communities where we have decided to cease operations (mothball) as we have determined that their economic performance would be maximized by deferring development. In the future, some of these communities may be re-opened while others may be sold to third parties. If we deem our carrying value to not be fully recoverable, we adjust our carrying value for these assets to fair value at the time they are placed into mothball status. As of September 30, 2012, we had three mothballed communities with a carrying value of $11.2 million in our West Region and eight mothballed communities with a carrying value of $29.4 million in our Central Region. During the nine months ended September 30, 2012, we did not place any additional communities into mothball status. We do not capitalize interest for such mothballed assets, and all ongoing costs of land ownership (i.e. property taxes, homeowner association dues, etc.) are also expensed as incurred.

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- Definition The carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of homes that have been finished and are ready for sale, net of valuation allowance and impairment loss. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 67 -Paragraph 7 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.6(a)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 6 -Subparagraph a -Article 5 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB) -Number 43 -Section A -Paragraph 9 -Chapter 3 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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- Definition Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of capitalized construction costs of homes for future sale. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 67 -Paragraph 4, 5, 6, 7 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.6(a)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 6 -Subparagraph a -Article 5 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB) -Number 43 -Section A -Paragraph 9 -Chapter 3 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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- Definition Total of (1) improvements, (2) held-for-sale, (3) land and land under development, (4) construction-in-process, (5) mortgage loans held-in-inventory, and (6) other real estate investments which are considered inventory due to being held for sale or disposition. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Carrying value of land held for sale. + References Reference 1: 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.(a),1(d)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 360 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 14 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=8077374&loc=d3e2599-110228 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph d -Article 7 + Details
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