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Notes and Loan Payable and Amounts Due Under Repurchase Agreements (Line of Credit and Term Loan Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended |  |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) occasions guarantor | Dec. 31, 2016 | Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) banks | Nov. 22, 2013 USD ($) banks
2013 Line of Credit [Member] |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Credit agreement, number of banks in the agreement | banks |  |  |  | 5
Line of credit, maximum borrowing capacity |  |  |  | $ 140,000
September 30, 2016 Credit Agreement [Member] |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Credit agreement, number of banks in the agreement | banks |  |  | 6 |
Credit agreement, interest rate, floating, applicable margin | 0.75% |  |  |
Credit agreement, interest rate, floating, adjusted LIBOR | 1.75% |  |  |
Minimum risk-based capital ratio | 275.00% |  |  |
Maximum debt to capital ratio | 0.35 |  |  |
Minimum capital to be retained | 80.00% |  |  |
Minimum portion of net income to be retained | 50.00% |  |  |
Minimum capital contributions to be retained | 50.00% |  |  |
Cash in excess of amount required by covenants | $ 723,200 |  |  |
September 30, 2016 Credit Agreement [Member] | 2016 Line of Credit [Member] |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Line of credit, maximum borrowing capacity |  |  | $ 150,000 |
Line of credit, unused capacity, commitment fee percentage | 0.275% |  |  |
Line of credit, number of occasions borrowing capacity can be increased | occasions | 3 |  |  |
Line of credit, additional borrowing capacity, aggregate amount | $ 50,000 |  |  |
Line of credit, duration of maturity date extension available, years | 1 year |  |  |
Credit agreement, number of guarantors | guarantor | 0 |  |  |
Line of credit, amount outstanding | $ 0 |  |  |
September 30, 2016 Credit Agreement [Member] | Term Loan [Member] |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Term loan |  |  | $ 100,000 |
Interest rate, effective percentage | 3.125% | 2.625% |  |

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- Definition The amount of cash and cash equivalents reported on the balance sheet that is in excess of the amount required to be held by debt or credit agreement covenants. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The variable interest rate for all borrowings under the credit agreement that is equal to an alternate base rate (as defined in the drecit agreement) plus the adjusted LIBOR rate that is equal to this value. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The variable interest rate for all borrowings under the credit agreement that is equal to an alternate base rate (as defined in the credit agreement) plus the applicable margin that is equal to this value. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the minimum risk-based capital ratio required under debt covenants. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The aggregate amount of the additional borrowing capacity of the Revolving Facility. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the 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(22)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 2: 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(16)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878 + Details
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- Definition Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility. + 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 210.5-02.19(b),22(b)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
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