Senior Notes, Secured, and Unsecured Indebtedness - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017
Operating activities
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	$ 98,028	$ (41,381)
Investing activities
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(475,221)	0
Purchases of property and equipment	(2,442)	(2)
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(477,663)	(2)
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings on notes payable	20,194	25,350
Principal payments on notes payable	(29,179)	(20,780)
Proceeds from borrowings on Revolver	110,000	105,000
Payments on Revolver	(25,000)	(77,000)
Principal payments on subordinated amortizing notes	0	(1,869)
Payment of deferred loan costs	(5,877)	(6,840)
Shares remitted to, or withheld by the Company for employee tax withholding	(4,696)	(1,380)
Payments to repurchase common stock	(5,000)	0
Cash received for lease transaction	0	19,848
Noncontrolling interest contributions	4,062	1,467
Noncontrolling interest distributions	(17,106)	(7,340)
Advances to affiliates	0	0
Intercompany receivables/payables	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	247,398	38,279
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(132,237)	(3,104)
Cash and cash equivalents — beginning of period	182,710	42,612
Cash and cash equivalents — end of period	50,473	39,508
Reporting Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating activities
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	146,012	18,589
Investing activities
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(475,221)
Purchases of property and equipment	(1,391)	0
Investments in subsidiaries	343,067	(18,452)
Net cash used in investing activities	(133,545)	(18,452)
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings on notes payable	0	0
Principal payments on notes payable	(14)	0
Proceeds from borrowings on Revolver	0	0
Payments on Revolver	0	0
Principal payments on subordinated amortizing notes		0
Payment of deferred loan costs	0	0
Shares remitted to, or withheld by the Company for employee tax withholding	0	0
Payments to repurchase common stock	0
Cash received for lease transaction		0
Noncontrolling interest contributions	0	0
Noncontrolling interest distributions	0	0
Advances to affiliates	6,240	2,845
Intercompany receivables/payables	(15,273)	(2,824)
Net cash provided by financing activities	(9,047)	21
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	3,420	158
Cash and cash equivalents — beginning of period	156	272
Cash and cash equivalents — end of period	3,576	430
Reporting Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Operating activities
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	12,571	(7,522)
Investing activities
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0
Purchases of property and equipment	12	0
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	12	0
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings on notes payable	20,194	25,350
Principal payments on notes payable	(29,165)	(20,780)
Proceeds from borrowings on Revolver	0	0
Payments on Revolver	0	0
Principal payments on subordinated amortizing notes		0
Payment of deferred loan costs	0	0
Shares remitted to, or withheld by the Company for employee tax withholding	0	0
Payments to repurchase common stock	0
Cash received for lease transaction		0
Noncontrolling interest contributions	4,062	1,467
Noncontrolling interest distributions	(17,106)	(7,340)
Advances to affiliates	(2,864)	487
Intercompany receivables/payables	8,576	6,335
Net cash provided by financing activities	(16,303)	5,519
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(3,720)	(2,003)
Cash and cash equivalents — beginning of period	11,120	6,136
Cash and cash equivalents — end of period	7,400	4,133
Reporting Entities | Delaware Lyon
Operating activities
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	6,515	(296)
Investing activities
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0
Purchases of property and equipment	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash 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 borrowings on Revolver	0	0
Payments on Revolver	0	0
Principal payments on subordinated amortizing notes		0
Payment of deferred loan costs	0	0
Shares remitted to, or withheld by the Company for employee tax withholding	0	0
Payments to repurchase common stock	0
Cash received for lease transaction		0
Noncontrolling interest contributions	0	0
Noncontrolling interest distributions	0	0
Advances to affiliates	0	0
Intercompany receivables/payables	(6,515)	296
Net cash provided by financing activities	(6,515)	296
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	(60,555)	(52,448)
Investing activities
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0
Purchases of property and equipment	(1,063)	(2)
Investments in subsidiaries	9,624	(333)
Net cash used in investing activities	8,561	(335)
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings on notes payable	0	0
Principal payments on notes payable	0	0
Proceeds from borrowings on Revolver	110,000	105,000
Payments on Revolver	(25,000)	(77,000)
Principal payments on subordinated amortizing notes		(1,869)
Payment of deferred loan costs	(5,877)	(6,840)
Shares remitted to, or withheld by the Company for employee tax withholding	(4,696)	(1,380)
Payments to repurchase common stock	(5,000)
Cash received for lease transaction		19,848
Noncontrolling interest contributions	0	0
Noncontrolling interest distributions	0	0
Advances to affiliates	0	0
Intercompany receivables/payables	(349,370)	11,942
Net cash provided by financing activities	(79,943)	51,524
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(131,937)	(1,259)
Cash and cash equivalents — beginning of period	171,434	36,204
Cash and cash equivalents — end of period	39,497	34,945
Consolidation, Eliminations
Operating activities
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(6,515)	296
Investing activities
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0
Purchases of property and equipment	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	(352,691)	18,785
Net cash used in investing activities	(352,691)	18,785
Financing activities
Proceeds from borrowings on notes payable	0	0
Principal payments on notes payable	0	0
Proceeds from borrowings on Revolver	0	0
Payments on Revolver	0	0
Principal payments on subordinated amortizing notes		0
Payment of deferred loan costs	0	0
Shares remitted to, or withheld by the Company for employee tax withholding	0	0
Payments to repurchase common stock	0
Cash received for lease transaction		0
Noncontrolling interest contributions	0	0
Noncontrolling interest distributions	0	0
Advances to affiliates	(3,376)	(3,332)
Intercompany receivables/payables	362,582	(15,749)
Net cash provided by financing activities	359,206	(19,081)
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
8 1/2% Senior Notes due November 15, 2020
Financing activities
Redemption premium of 8.5% Senior Notes	0	(19,645)
Repayments of Senior Debt	0	425,000
8 1/2% Senior Notes due November 15, 2020 | Reporting Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Financing activities
Redemption premium of 8.5% Senior Notes		0
Repayments of Senior Debt		0
8 1/2% Senior Notes due November 15, 2020 | Reporting Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Financing activities
Redemption premium of 8.5% Senior Notes		0
Repayments of Senior Debt		0
8 1/2% Senior Notes due November 15, 2020 | Reporting Entities | Delaware Lyon
Financing activities
Redemption premium of 8.5% Senior Notes		0
Repayments of Senior Debt		0
8 1/2% Senior Notes due November 15, 2020 | Reporting Entities | California Lyon
Financing activities
Redemption premium of 8.5% Senior Notes		(19,645)
Repayments of Senior Debt		425,000
8 1/2% Senior Notes due November 15, 2020 | Consolidation, Eliminations
Financing activities
Redemption premium of 8.5% Senior Notes		0
Repayments of Senior Debt		0
5 7/8% Senior Notes due January 31, 2025
Financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes	0	446,468
5 7/8% Senior Notes due January 31, 2025 | Reporting Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes		0
5 7/8% Senior Notes due January 31, 2025 | Reporting Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes		0
5 7/8% Senior Notes due January 31, 2025 | Reporting Entities | Delaware Lyon
Financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes		0
5 7/8% Senior Notes due January 31, 2025 | Reporting Entities | California Lyon
Financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes		446,468
5 7/8% Senior Notes due January 31, 2025 | Consolidation, Eliminations
Financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes		0
5 3/4% Senior Notes due April 15, 2019
Financing activities
Redemption premium of 8.5% Senior Notes	(150,000)
Repayments of Senior Debt	150,000	0
5 3/4% Senior Notes due April 15, 2019 | Reporting Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Financing activities
Redemption premium of 8.5% Senior Notes	0
5 3/4% Senior Notes due April 15, 2019 | Reporting Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Financing activities
Redemption premium of 8.5% Senior Notes	0
5 3/4% Senior Notes due April 15, 2019 | Reporting Entities | Delaware Lyon
Financing activities
Redemption premium of 8.5% Senior Notes	0
5 3/4% Senior Notes due April 15, 2019 | Reporting Entities | California Lyon
Financing activities
Redemption premium of 8.5% Senior Notes	(150,000)
5 3/4% Senior Notes due April 15, 2019 | Consolidation, Eliminations
Financing activities
Redemption premium of 8.5% Senior Notes	0
6% Senior Notes due 2023
Financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes	350,000	$ 0
6% Senior Notes due 2023 | Reporting Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes	0
6% Senior Notes due 2023 | Reporting Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes	0
6% Senior Notes due 2023 | Reporting Entities | Delaware Lyon
Financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes	0
6% Senior Notes due 2023 | Reporting Entities | California Lyon
Financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes	350,000
6% Senior Notes due 2023 | Consolidation, Eliminations
Financing activities
Proceeds from issuance of 7% senior notes	$ 0