Senior Notes, Secured, and Unsecured Indebtedness - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Operating activities
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	$ (82,978)	$ (220,354)
Investing activities
Collection of related party note receivable	6,188	0
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures		(1,000)
Purchases of property and equipment	(773)	(1,288)
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	5,415	(2,288)
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings on notes payable	111,992	84,926
Principal payments on notes payable	(91,250)	(21,123)
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes	0	51,000
Proceeds from borrowings on Revolver	198,000	194,000
Payments on Revolver	(167,000)	(109,000)
Principal payments on subordinated amortizing notes	(5,096)	(4,999)
Payment of deferred loan costs	(792)	(1,755)
Proceeds from stock options exercised	0	106
Shares remitted to, or withheld by the Company for employee tax withholding	(918)	(1,826)
Purchase of common stock	(918)
Excess income tax benefit from stock based awards	(238)	0
Noncontrolling interest contributions	36,140	13,125
Noncontrolling interest distributions	(12,768)	(8,204)
Advances to affiliates	0	0
Intercompany receivables/payables	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	68,070	196,250
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(9,493)	(26,392)
Cash and cash equivalents — beginning of period	50,203	52,771
Cash and cash equivalents — end of period	40,710	26,379
Reporting Entities | Delaware Lyon
Operating activities
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(2,931)	(3,108)
Investing activities
Collection of related party note receivable	0
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures		0
Purchases of property and equipment	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	0	0
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings on notes payable	0	0
Principal payments on notes payable	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes		0
Proceeds from borrowings on Revolver	0	0
Payments on Revolver	0	0
Principal payments on subordinated amortizing notes	0	0
Payment of deferred loan costs	0	0
Proceeds from stock options exercised		0
Shares remitted to, or withheld by the Company for employee tax withholding		0
Purchase of common stock	0
Excess income tax benefit from stock based awards	0
Noncontrolling interest contributions	0	0
Noncontrolling interest distributions	0	0
Advances to affiliates	0	0
Intercompany receivables/payables	2,931	3,108
Net cash provided by financing activities	2,931	3,108
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents — beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents — end of period	0	0
Reporting Entities | California Lyon
Operating activities
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	18,174	(148,129)
Investing activities
Collection of related party note receivable	6,188
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures		(1,000)
Purchases of property and equipment	(809)	(1,375)
Investments in subsidiaries	(1,727)	(6,572)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	3,652	(8,947)
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings on notes payable	2,211	30,415
Principal payments on notes payable	(10,440)	(8,725)
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes		51,000
Proceeds from borrowings on Revolver	198,000	194,000
Payments on Revolver	(167,000)	(109,000)
Principal payments on subordinated amortizing notes	(5,096)	(4,999)
Payment of deferred loan costs	(792)	(1,755)
Proceeds from stock options exercised		106
Shares remitted to, or withheld by the Company for employee tax withholding		(1,826)
Purchase of common stock	(918)
Excess income tax benefit from stock based awards	(238)
Noncontrolling interest contributions	0	0
Noncontrolling interest distributions	0	0
Advances to affiliates	0	0
Intercompany receivables/payables	(46,182)	(21,706)
Net cash provided by financing activities	(30,455)	127,510
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(8,629)	(29,566)
Cash and cash equivalents — beginning of period	44,332	48,462
Cash and cash equivalents — end of period	35,703	18,896
Reporting Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating activities
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(35,182)	(19,212)
Investing activities
Collection of related party note receivable	0
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures		0
Purchases of property and equipment	56	65
Investments in subsidiaries	46,801	27,885
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	46,857	27,950
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings on notes payable	0	0
Principal payments on notes payable	0	(162)
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes		0
Proceeds from borrowings on Revolver	0	0
Payments on Revolver	0	0
Principal payments on subordinated amortizing notes	0	0
Payment of deferred loan costs	0	0
Proceeds from stock options exercised		0
Shares remitted to, or withheld by the Company for employee tax withholding		0
Purchase of common stock	0
Excess income tax benefit from stock based awards	0
Noncontrolling interest contributions	0	0
Noncontrolling interest distributions	0	0
Advances to affiliates	(4,479)	(4,810)
Intercompany receivables/payables	(9,391)	(3,412)
Net cash provided by financing activities	(13,870)	(8,384)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(2,195)	354
Cash and cash equivalents — beginning of period	2,723	573
Cash and cash equivalents — end of period	528	927
Reporting Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating activities
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(65,970)	(52,390)
Investing activities
Collection of related party note receivable	0
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures		0
Purchases of property and equipment	(20)	22
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(20)	22
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings on notes payable	109,781	54,511
Principal payments on notes payable	(80,810)	(12,236)
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes		0
Proceeds from borrowings on Revolver	0	0
Payments on Revolver	0	0
Principal payments on subordinated amortizing notes	0	0
Payment of deferred loan costs	0	0
Proceeds from stock options exercised		0
Shares remitted to, or withheld by the Company for employee tax withholding		0
Purchase of common stock	0
Excess income tax benefit from stock based awards	0
Noncontrolling interest contributions	36,140	13,125
Noncontrolling interest distributions	(12,768)	(8,204)
Advances to affiliates	11,056	9,327
Intercompany receivables/payables	3,922	(1,335)
Net cash provided by financing activities	67,321	55,188
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	1,331	2,820
Cash and cash equivalents — beginning of period	3,148	3,736
Cash and cash equivalents — end of period	4,479	6,556
Consolidation, Eliminations
Operating activities
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	2,931	2,485
Investing activities
Collection of related party note receivable	0
Investments in and advances to unconsolidated joint ventures		0
Purchases of property and equipment	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	(45,074)	(21,313)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(45,074)	(21,313)
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings on notes payable	0	0
Principal payments on notes payable	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes		0
Proceeds from borrowings on Revolver	0	0
Payments on Revolver	0	0
Principal payments on subordinated amortizing notes	0	0
Payment of deferred loan costs	0	0
Proceeds from stock options exercised		0
Shares remitted to, or withheld by the Company for employee tax withholding		0
Purchase of common stock	0
Excess income tax benefit from stock based awards	0
Noncontrolling interest contributions	0	0
Noncontrolling interest distributions	0	0
Advances to affiliates	(6,577)	(4,517)
Intercompany receivables/payables	48,720	23,345
Net cash provided by financing activities	42,143	18,828
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents — beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents — end of period	$ 0	$ 0