XML 47 R36.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.4.0.3

ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands | 3 Months Ended |
--- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) state region community | Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Organization and Presentation [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Entity operations in number of regions | region |  | 3 |  |
Number of states in regions | state |  | 9 |  |
Number of communities in which homes are sold | community |  | 243 |  |
Money market funds |  |  |  | $ 20,000
Deposits on real estate under option or contract |  | $ 91,991 |  | 87,839
Adjustments to warranty reserve balance |  | 441 | $ 0 |
Debt issuance costs | [1] | 10,116 |  | 10,745
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member] |  |  |  |
Organization and Presentation [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Amounts in transit from title companies for home closings |  | 66,600 |  | 74,500
Senior Notes [Member] | Adjustments for New Accounting Pronouncement [Member] |  |  |  |
Organization and Presentation [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Debt issuance costs |  |  |  | $ 10,700
Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |
Organization and Presentation [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Base price per house for sale range |  | $ 158 |  |
Community life cycle range |  | 3 years |  |
Minimum [Member] | Non-Structural Items [Member] |  |  |  |
Organization and Presentation [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Warranty period following home closings |  | 1 year |  |
Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |
Organization and Presentation [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Base price per house for sale range |  | $ 1,410 |  |
Community life cycle range |  | 5 years |  |
Maximum [Member] | Non-Structural Items [Member] |  |  |  |
Organization and Presentation [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Warranty period following home closings |  | 2 years |  |
Maximum [Member] | Structural [Member] |  |  |  |
Organization and Presentation [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Warranty period following home closings |  | 10 years |  |
[1] | As discussed in Note 1, the adoption of ASU 2015-03 resulted in a retrospective reclassification of our debt costs from Prepaids, other assets and goodwill to Senior and convertible senior notes, net on our December 31, 2015 balance sheet in the amount of $10.7 million.

X
- Definition Amounts in transit from title companies for home closings. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mth_AmountsInTransitFromTitleCompaniesForHomeClosings
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The price range as of the balance sheet date relating to the houses the Company has for sale. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mth_BasePricePerHouseForSaleRange
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The range in number of years it takes to develop and sell a community starting with the acquisition of the land. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mth_CommunityLifeCycleRange
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The number of regions in the country where the Company has operations. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mth_EntityOperationsInNumberOfRegions
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

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_NumberofCommunitiesinWhichHomesareSold
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Organization and presentation line items. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mth_OrganizationAndPresentationLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Warranty period following home closings. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mth_WarrantyPeriodFollowingHomeClosings
Namespace Prefix: | mth_
Data Type: | xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount, after accumulated amortization, of debt issuance costs. Includes, but is not limited to, legal, accounting, underwriting, printing, and registration costs. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 835 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28555-108399 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.17) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DeferredFinanceCostsNet
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The carrying amount of the asset transferred to a third party to serve as a deposit, which typically serves as security against failure by the transferor to perform under terms of an agreement. + 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 210.5-02.8,17) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_DepositAssets
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Investment in short-term money-market instruments (such as commercial paper, banker's acceptances, repurchase agreements, government securities, certificates of deposit, and so forth) which are highly liquid (that is, readily convertible to known amounts of cash) and so near their maturity that they present an insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Generally, only investments with original maturities of three months or less qualify as cash equivalents by definition. Original maturity means an original maturity to the entity holding the investment. For example, both a three-month US Treasury bill and a three-year Treasury note purchased three months from maturity qualify as cash equivalents. However, a Treasury note purchased three-years ago does not become a cash equivalent when its remaining maturity is three months. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Cash Equivalents -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6507016 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_MoneyMarketFundsAtCarryingValue
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The number of states the entity operates in as of the balance sheet date. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_NumberOfStatesInWhichEntityOperates
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Amount of increase (decrease) in the standard product warranty accrual from changes in estimates attributable to preexisting product warranties. Excludes extended product warranties. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 460 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -Subparagraph ((c)(4)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68068213&loc=d3e12565-110249 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_StandardProductWarrantyAccrualPreexistingIncreaseDecrease
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_AdjustmentsForNewAccountingPronouncementsAxis=us-gaap_NewAccountingPronouncementMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=mth_NonStructuralItemsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=mth_StructuralMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |