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Real Estate and Capitalized Interest (Details 2) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2013 | Sep. 30, 2012 | Sep. 30, 2013 | Sep. 30, 2012
Number of communities with real estate inventory impairments & fair value of these communities |  |  |  |
Impairment Charges | $ 584,000 | $ 417,000 | $ 776,000 | $ 1,600,000

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- Definition Impairment charges related to communities. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mth_ImpairmentChargesRelatedToCommunities
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

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- Details
Name: | mth_NumberOfCommunitiesImpairedFairValueAndImpairmentChargesAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration