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Real Estate and Capitalized Interest (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified | Sep. 30, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013
--- | --- | ---
Real Estate Properties |  |  |  |
Finished home sites and home sites under development | $ 1,041,108 | [1] | $ 913,236 | [1]
Real estate | 1,865,051 |  | 1,405,299 |
Homes under contract [Member] |  |  |  |
Homes under contract under construction | 440,033 | [2] | 262,633 | [2]
Speculative homes not under contract [Member] |  |  |  |
Homes under contract under construction | 283,883 | [2] | 147,889 | [2]
Model homes [Member] |  |  |  |
Homes under contract under construction | $ 100,027 | [2] | $ 81,541 | [2]
[1] | Includes land held for development and land held for sale. 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. For these parcels, we may have chosen not to currently develop certain land holdings as they typically represent a portion or phases of a larger land parcel that we plan to build out over several years. We do not capitalize interest for inactive assets, and all ongoing costs of land ownership (i.e. property taxes, homeowner association dues, etc.) are expensed as incurred.
[2] | Includes the allocated land and land development costs associated with each lot for these homes.

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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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