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Real Estate and Capitalized Interest (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012
--- | --- | ---
Real Estate Properties |  |  |  |
Homes under contract under construction | $ 262,633 | [1] | $ 192,948 | [1]
Unsold homes, completed and under construction | 147,889 | [1] | 107,466 | [1]
Model homes | 81,541 | [1] | 62,411 | [1]
Finished home sites and home sites under development | 813,135 |  | 634,106 |
Land held for development | 52,100 | [2] | 56,118 | [2]
Land held for sale | 19,112 |  | 21,650 |
Communities in mothball status | 28,889 | [3] | 38,488 | [3]
Real estate | $ 1,405,299 |  | $ 1,113,187 |
[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 December 31, 2013, we had five mothballed communities with a carrying value of $26.1 million in our West Region and one mothballed community with a carrying value of $2.8 million in our Central Region. During 2013, we placed one additional community into mothball status and removed five communities totaling $9.6 million out of 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 of land as of the balance sheet date of both substantially complete land as well as land under development. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Carrying amount net of impairment reserves as of the balance sheet date primarily consisting of land where all development activity has ceased and the community is in mothball status. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Carrying amount net of impairment reserves as of the balance sheet date primarily consisting of land which is held for development. + References No definition available. + Details
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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 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 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 6 -Subparagraph a -Article 5 + 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 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 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 6 -Subparagraph a -Article 5 + 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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