XML 45 R43.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.0.8

Real Estate and Capitalized Interest (Details Textual) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2013 Communities | Dec. 31, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2011
Real Estate and Capitalized Interest [Line Items] |  |  |
Change in Amount of properties in mothball Status | $ 9,600,000 |  |
Number of communities to which homes are sold | 188 |  |
Land held for sale | 19,112,000 | 21,650,000 |
Capitalized interest related to joint venture investments | 511,000 | 539,000 | 750,000
Impairment Of Real Estate And Joint Venture And Other Real Estate Related Impairments | 987,000 | 2,009,000 | 15,324,000
Additions [Member] |  |  |
Real Estate and Capitalized Interest [Line Items] |  |  |
Change in Number of properties in mothball Status | 1 |  |
Removed [Member] |  |  |
Real Estate and Capitalized Interest [Line Items] |  |  |
Change in Number of properties in mothball Status | 5 |  |
Central [Member] |  |  |
Real Estate and Capitalized Interest [Line Items] |  |  |
Impairment Of Real Estate And Joint Venture And Other Real Estate Related Impairments | 235,000 | 219,000 | 2,896,000
Central [Member] | Mothballed [Member] |  |  |
Real Estate and Capitalized Interest [Line Items] |  |  |
Number of mothball communities | 1 |  |
Carrying value of the community | 2,800,000 |  |
West [Member] |  |  |
Real Estate and Capitalized Interest [Line Items] |  |  |
Impairment Of Real Estate And Joint Venture And Other Real Estate Related Impairments | 514,000 | 1,618,000 | 11,333,000
West [Member] | Mothballed [Member] |  |  |
Real Estate and Capitalized Interest [Line Items] |  |  |
Number of mothball communities | 5 |  |
Carrying value of the community | 26,100,000 |  |
Las Vegas Wind-down [Member] |  |  |
Real Estate and Capitalized Interest [Line Items] |  |  |
Real estate held for development or sale | 174 |  |
Value of remaining lots and associated home inventory | $ 11,800,000 |  |

X
- Definition Carrying value of the community. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mth_CarryingValueOfCommunity
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Change in Amount of Properties in the Category of Real Estate Property in mothball staus + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mth_ChangeInAmountOfPropertiesInMothballStatus
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Change in Number of Properties in the Category of Real Estate Property in mothball staus + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mth_ChangeInNumberOfPropertiesInMothballStatus
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The charge against earnings in the period to reduce the carrying amount of real property, joint venture investment balances and other real estate related capitalized costs to fair value. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mth_ImpairmentOfRealEstateAndJointVentureAndOtherRealEstateRelatedImpairments
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The number of communities in which the Company is actively selling homes as of the balance sheet date. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mth_NumberOfCommunitiesToWhichHomesAreSold
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Number of existing communities. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mth_NumberOfExistingCommunities
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

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

X
- Definition Real estate held for development or sale + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mth_Realestateheldfordevelopmentorsale
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Real estate inventory capitalized interest costs related to joint venture investments. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mth_RealEstateInventoryCapitalizedInterestCostsRelatedToJointVentureInvestments
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Value of remaining lots and associated home inventory. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mth_ValueOfRemainingLotsAndAssociatedHomeInventory
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- 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
Name: | us-gaap_LandAvailableForSale
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant