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Real Estate and Capitalized Interest (Details Textual) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |  |  | 12 Months Ended |  | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2012 Communities | Dec. 31, 2011 | Dec. 31, 2010 | Dec. 31, 2012 Under Contract [Member] | Jun. 30, 2012 Under Contract [Member] | Dec. 31, 2011 Central [Member] | Dec. 31, 2010 Central [Member] | Dec. 31, 2012 Central [Member] Mothballed [Member] Communities | Dec. 31, 2011 West [Member] | Dec. 31, 2010 West [Member] | Dec. 31, 2012 West [Member] Mothballed [Member] Communities | Dec. 31, 2012 Las Vegas Wind-down [Member] Communities Lot | Dec. 31, 2012 Las Vegas Wind-down [Member] Maximum [Member] | Dec. 31, 2012 Las Vegas Wind-down [Member] Minimum [Member]
Real Estate and Capitalized Interest [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of mothball communities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  | 8 |  |  |
Carrying value of the community |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 3,400,000 |  |  | $ 35,100,000 |  |  |
Change in Number of properties in mothball Status |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Change in Amount of properties in mothball Status |  | 2,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment charges related to communities |  | 0 | 3,913,000 | 1,897,000 |  |  | 150,000 | 1,502,000 |  | 3,408,000 | 395,000 |  |  |  |
Number of lots remaining to sell |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 24 |  |
Number of communities to which homes are sold |  | 158 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |
Value of remaining lots and associated home inventory |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4,800,000 |  |
Construction completion period |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 9 months | 6 months
Value of remaining assets related to properties not being developed |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 17,800,000 |  |
Land held for sale |  | 21,650,000 | 29,908,000 |  | 2,400,000 | 6,500,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Proceeds from sale of land held for sale under contract | 3,300,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Capitalized interest related to joint venture investments |  | $ 539,000 | $ 750,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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- Definition Carrying value of the community. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Change in Amount of Properties in the Category of Real Estate Property in mothball staus + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Change in Number of Properties in the Category of Real Estate Property in mothball staus + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The period of time over which the entity expects to complete the construction project. + References No definition available. + Details
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- 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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